Hand Saws

Discover our range of quality hand saws online. We stock high-performance hand tools and equipment including a wide choice of hand saws from reliable brands like Senator®, Yamoto®, Bahco® and our own brand, Kennedy®.

What are hand saws?

Hand saws are an effective and widely used hand tool designed to trim and cut a variety of materials to size and shape.

Why hand saws?

Lightweight and easy to transport, hand saws are a quick and easy alternative to their power tool cousins. They give a reliable performance without the need for battery or corded power, with some small enough to fit into toolboxes and onto tool belts.

From a safety perspective, hand saws don't pose a risk of trips and falls from trailing cables and are ideal for beginners as they are easy to control, whereas power saws can run away with inexperienced users.

Hand saw types

There are two overarching types of hand saw, those with fixed blades and those with removable blades.

• Hand saw   -   Used for making straight cuts on wood, including hardwood, softwood, chipboard, and other formed woods

• Two-person saw   -   Large sharp teeth allow for aggressive cuts for felling trees

• Junior hacksaw   -   A much smaller version of a standard hacksaw, it allows for work in close quarters with a more accurate and tidy finish. They usually have a straight handle, similar to those of coping saws for precision cuts

• Mini hacksaw   -   Similar in size to the junior hacksaw, a mini saw will accept hacksaw blades and are ideal for use in tight spaces

• Standard hacksaw   -   Sometimes referred to as senior hacksaws, this type features a closed handle to prevent slipping and a shaped end to allow for a two-hand operation

• Coping saw   -   Used for cutting a range of materials, including plastic, ceramic, soft metals and all types of wood. They're ideal for scroll work and other intricate shapes

• Fret saw   -   Smaller than coping saws, this type of saw is often referred to as a jeweller saw. They use unpinned blades that allow for curves and other shaping

• Dovetail saw   -   Used for creating dovetail joints, these saws give a precision, straight cut

• Tenon saw   -   Larger than the Dovetail saw, this type is sharpened for rip cuts for the cheeks of tenons

• Japanese saw   -   Designed with a thin blade for precision cuts on the pull stroke

• Bow saw   -   Sharp for pruning branches and cutting both wet and dry logs

• Mitre saw   -   Set in an adjustable framework, these saws make precise angled cuts and are often used for mitre joints

• Drywall saw   -   Featuring a long, thin blade with a straight handle for making straight or shaped cuts on plasterboard

• PVC saw Similar in appearance to a hand saw these saws have shorter teeth for making clean cuts on plastic

• Floorboard saw   -   Designed for final cuts laminate, veneer and solid wood floors

Insulation saw   -   This type of saw has a long blade and closed handle for cutting insulation to size, such as glass wool and expanded polystyrene

Masonry saw   -   Used to cut brick and stone to size

Considerations when choosing a hand saw

• Material - identify the type of work piece material and its thickness to find the best tool for the job.

• TPI - Larger and fewer teeth are used for tougher, thicker materials, while smaller sized teeth in larger numbers are ideal for precision work.

• Space - the amount of space you'll have to work in, whether you frequently lay under kitchen cupboards or stand at a workbench in a sprawling workshop, is an important factor in choosing the size of the hacksaw.

• **Handle **- some handles feature soft grip options to enhance user comfort. Other saws, such as junior hacksaws for example, can be available with different types of handle, such as a straight or open handle.

FAQs

What's the difference between a hacksaw and a hand saw?

The difference is the blades. Hacksaws have removable blades that are thin and held in place under tension between the ends of the frame. They're intended for two-handed, slow cutting, which is why the frame is often a D-shape. Saws with fixed blades, like the tenon saw or panel saw for example, aren't designed for frequent removal and replacement. They're wider and thicker for strength and durability and are meant for mainly cutting wood.

What's the difference between a hand saw and a tenon saw?

Both saws have a fixed blade and are used to primarily cut wood. However, the tenon saw features a spine along the back of the blade to add rigidity when making accurate and straight cuts for joints. The hand saw features just the closed handle and a thicker blade to maintain straight cuts but wouldn't produce as accurate a cut as a tenon saw.