Tried a Japanese pull saw after years of using a Western handsaw for trim work

Switched to a Gyokucho 265 pull saw for cutting baseboard miters in a 1920s house near Portland. That thin blade left zero tear-out on some really beat up old oak. Anyone else find pull saws just feel more natural for finish work or is it just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

angela_allen532h ago

Honestly, is it really that huge of a difference though? I mean zero tear out is nice but I've gotten close with a sharp western saw and a little patience. Ngl it just sounds like you guys had some dull blades.

aliceg616h ago

Oh man, "zero tear-out" is exactly what hooked me. I was fighting with a western saw on some gnarly old fir trim in a house from the 20s and that thin blade slicing through clean, no chatter, just a straight cut... it felt like cheating. It's not just you at all, there's something about the pull motion that keeps the blade tracking straight, especially on end grain. Plus the kerf is so thin you don't feel like you're fighting the wood, it just glides. I'm never going back for finish work, that's for sure.