Japanese saw handle

It was my friend Adam who first introduced me to Japanese saws. What makes them unusual is that they have very thin blades and cut on the pull stroke so that the sawing action holds the blade in tension as you cut. This allows for more accurate cuts and tend to be faster too as less wood is removed.

Adam had a spare replacement blade which he'd bought by mistake - it didn't fit his handle - and he kindly donated it to me. I used a piece of oak floor board to make a new handle which, as per tradition, tapers slightly in the middle. The handle is finished with a piece of bog oak inlay.

I've been using it a lot over the last couple of weeks making a table (which will be topped with the same oak floor boards used to make the handle) and am a complete convert. They are quite expensive but I'll never be without one again.

September 2017