Popular Woodworking 2004-02 № 139, страница 64

True Japanese

Dovetail Saws

Sure they look like standard dozukis but these saws have rip teeth. We compare the Kaneharu (in use) with new saws from Harima-Daizo (left) and Lee Valley (right).

2 new rip-tooth dozuki saws are efficient dovetailers.

Cutting dovetail pins and tails is primarily a ripping operation. So it has always bewildered me that almost every Japanese saw sold for dovetailing had teeth designed for crosscut-ting or cutting plywood.

A few specialty importers do sell Japanese backsaws with a rip-tooth configuration, but these are made mostly by hand and cost between $140 and $1,500.

Why, I wonder, isn't there a machine-made dozuki that sells for about $35 - the cost of a decent crosscutting dozuki? Well, I don't have the answer yet, but the two new rip-tooth dozukis on the market are considerably less expensive (between $70 and $80). To check the quality, I compared them to a premium rip-tooth dozuki that I'm quite familiar with - the Kaneharu ripping dozuki, sold by Hiraide America for $182 (see the Sources box for more information).

by Christopher Schwarz

Comments or questions? Contact Chris at 513-531-2690 ext. 1407 or chris.schwarz@fwpubs.com.

62 Popular Woodworking February 2004