Lee Valley Backsaws By Bad Axe Tool Works

Made by a small employee-owned firm in Wisconsin, this selection of handsaws has been crafted from premium materials, with designs modelled after classic late-19th-century American saws. Though finely made, these are anything but delicate, with a heft that permits a powerful stroke.

The saws we offer all have hand-filed, hammer-set Swedish spring-steel blades and oil-finished hardwood handles secured with slotted nuts. The folded backs are made of thick carbon steel for rigidity and added mass, and are finished with the same black-oxide treatment used in firearms to provide lasting protection against corrosion.

The 10″ dovetail saw weighs 14 oz, with an open handle mounted at a noticeably lower angle than traditional dovetail saws. The 0.018″ thick blade cuts a 0.023″ kerf with a 1 7/8″ cut depth. The 14 tpi rip pattern has 6° of rake and 5° of fleam to help reduce tearout.

The 12″ dovetail/small tenon saw weighs just over 1 lb. Its open handle is set at a moderately low hang angle, and the 0.020″ thick blade cuts a 0.027″ kerf and has a 2 7/16″ cut depth. With 10° of rake and 12.5° of fleam, the 13 tpi hybrid pattern rips efficiently yet also produces a decent finish on crosscuts.

The 14″ sash saw features the same hybrid tooth geometry but is scaled for larger work. Not only longer, it has coarser teeth (11 tpi) and a thicker blade (0.025″) to produce a kerf of 0.035″ and a greater depth of cut (3 9/16″). Overall weight is 1.5 lb, and the closed handle has a moderately low hang angle.

Impeccably finished, these are well-made, superbly balanced tools.