Whether you’re cutting logs, repairing a deck or building furniture from scratch it’s impossible to get the job done without the proper tools. This guide will help you separate your Panel Saws from your Tenon Saws, Coping Saws from Pull Saws and everything in between.

Below we’ll explore not just the key features of handsaws but also each of the different types and which saw is best for cutting any given material. All so you can direct your attention to where it’s needed most – ensuring your job is done to as high a standard as possible.

Standing for ‘Teeth per Inch’ TPI is a basic measure of your saw’s suitability for different materials. Higher TPIs, for example, 20 and above, are far better at cutting harder materials such as metal and plastic. Conversely, a lower TPI (14 or below) tends to favour wood.

Typically, this means that saws with more teeth tend to provide higher-quality cuts making them an ideal choice for finer detailing work and curved sawing. Though, this is not to say that higher TPIs are also preferred. In practice, these cuts require more time and effort to complete as opposed to low TPI saws meaning general construction work (or those requiring faster, less accurate cuts) benefit from saws with fewer teeth.

Yes. Whilst it may seem superficial, the length of your saw has a significant impact on working efficiency. After all, the longer the blade the longer the stroke and the shorter amount of time needed to complete your cut.

Choosing the right length of saw, then, depends entirely on your applications. Short saws, for example, those varying from 6” to 12” are tailor-made for more detailed work – not offering a full range of motion but being far easier to use in smaller spaces, on smaller workpieces. In the same vein saws between 20” and 24” are far more suited to framing work and external projects, such as decking, helping to cut more timber in a shorter span of time.

As with anything quality results can more often than not be traced back to quality construction. When it comes to saws, this means hardpoint teeth. Saws boasting this additional feature see far greater lifespans than standard models, with a durability and strength that make them ideal for trade work.

For those looking to use their tools on a regular basis, we would also recommend being on the lookout for ergonomic handles. Not only are they far more comfortable (and designed to lessen injury caused by repetitive use), but many will also outlive saw blades – saving money in the long run with only replacement blades needing to be bought.

Best Saw for Cutting Metal

When it comes to working with metal, you’ll need a saw that is both strong and flexible. A hacksaw prioritizes both.  Not only does it offer the necessary rigidity, but many also have pistol grip handles offering superior grip and comfort – a must-have, considering the extra force that may need to be applied.

Depending on the metal in question you may want to consider either low or high TPI saws. Softer metals, for example copper or aluminium sheets, would require the finer cuts that high TPI saws offer whilst wider spread teeth may be preferable when working with steel and iron.

Best Saws for Cutting Wood

Complex carpentry requires a lot of different tools, though the three no DIYer should be without are the Tenon and Coping Saws as well as your general purpose Panel Saw. Used in conjunction with a mitre box, Tenon Saws allow for the quick, easy and precise cuts that are essential for a wide array of joining applications. They are also often suitable with a range of medium to thick materials.

Coping saws, on the other hand, with tall u-shaped frames are a must-have for highly detailed cutting. The blades are much thinner than Tenon Saws allowing for intricate shapes and curves to be cut into the centre of your workpieces. Most see use when sawing joins on moulding, though they are also apt at cutting in holes by drilling a hole in your wood, removing the blade and then passing the blade through the hole before re-attaching.

Finally, we have our Panel Saws. As you might have guessed these saws are designed for everything from rough cutting large pieces of timber to more accurate cuts when working on plywood or MDF. It’s for this reason that they tend to offer the largest variety in TPI and blade length, and why best practice says that it's always best to have two. One with fine toothing and one for coarser cuts.

Best Saw for Cutting Plastic

Whilst thinner plastic can often be handled with utility knife, thicker sheets may need tools with a bit more bite to them. In this instance, as with metal, hacksaws tend to be preferred. The ideal choice will be one with as many teeth per inch as possible, as this will prevent sharp and rough edges around your cut. Naturally, this will take a bit more time and effort, but the cleaner end result is definitely worth it.

With that being said, depending on your plastic, it may also be worth investing in a jigsaw or table saw, especially when working with plastic piping or much thicker plastic blocks. Bear in mind, however, these tools may not yield as smooth a cutting edge and so we would always suggest procuring a deburring tool to finish.

Making the most out of your handsaw means regular maintenance, most important of which is keeping your saw teeth sharp. The best way to do this is with a suitable triangular saw file, commonly available in a wide range of sizes to suit different tooth spacing. 

Naturally, any saw file that fits between the teeth of your saw are suitable though you should aim for files at least twice the size of your saw teeth. By doing this, you will only ever end up wearing down the bottom half of your file, allowing you to simply reverse it to double its potential lifespan.

To achieve the best results, you’ll want to make sure all your filing is uniform. This means using a vice and ensuring the file is held at a consistent angle. This can be as simple a job as attaching a block of wood to file for leverage with multiple markings for different angles.

Saw Sharpening Step-by-Step

Step 1: Levelling Saw Teeth

After five to ten intensive uses, your saw’s teeth may start to show signs of wear. The first sign of this is if they are clearly uneven – with some being far shorter than others. Levelling is a simple means of improving the cutting performance, getting it back to what it was when the saw was new.

To do this, first fix the saw in your vice and then file back and forth over the tips of the teeth until they are all of a similar height. It’s not unusual for one or two to be far shorter, and this is unlikely to cause any significant harm to the overall performance of the tool.

Step 2: Shaping Saw Teeth

There are many saw teeth configurations, though the most common you will come across will be crosscut and rip. Whilst both are set away from the blade, crosscut teeth are angled on their inside edge, making the more suited to cutting across the grain, whilst rip teeth are straight, being far more ideal for cutting with the grain.

You may find this step unnecessary if your saw is new, though older and more used tools will likely need re-shaping to maintain these configurations. To this end, each tooth should receive an equal number of file strokes until they all become a shape suited to the configuration you want to achieve.

Step 3: Setting Saw Teeth

The next step is to set the saw teeth. In essence bend them, in equal sets, outwards on both sides. For this a saw setting tool will be required, which will help you create perfectly equal offsets that are less than double the width of your blade. Depending on how recently you purchased your saw, this may be also an unnecessary step, though it is always worth checking as an unset saw is far more likely to jam.

If you are setting, it is also important to bear in mind the depth of your offset, which should be no more than half the height of your teeth. Any more and your risk cracking the teeth and causing the whole saw to bow. To prevent this, take care to use your setting tool as per the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Step 4: Final Sharpening

For your final sharpening, the saw should be clamped as close to the base as possible to avoid vibration. With this done, simply take your triangular file and guide it horizontally between each tooth. At right angles to the blade when working with rip teeth and a roughly 60° angle with crosscut. Both the back and front of two consecutive teeth should be sharpened simultaneously, bringing the file back and lifting slightly as it returns. 

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