A Cheap Dovetail Saw

I've had the unique privilege of handling and using a few dovetail saws. These rang all the way from a modern saw made by an individual artisan saw maker, middle of the road versions to cheap and cheerful. They all have one thing in common, they all worked perfectly well.

From a British perspective, a dovetail saw is typically an open handled pistol grip with a steel or brass back, between 8” to 10” long and between 14 to 20 tpi. Although named a dovetail saw, they can be used effectively on any small joinery that a tenon saw might be too cumbersome to work with. As a dovetail saw will spend most of its life ripping, it makes sense to have it sharpened for ripping. Yes, at times it will need to cut across the grain, but because the plate, teeth and set are all so fine it works on crosscutting just perfectly well. I prefer a something near 14ppi tooth count, it's easier to maintain the teeth than way

One of the best value ways of getting a good dovetail saw is opting for a 10” gents saw. The “William Greaves” gents saw fits the bill nicely and costs a very reasonable £20. However, rumour has it it's no longer for sale, but any decent gents saw with the right tooth count will work nicely. For clarity, I am not accepting donations or payments to review or recommend any saw. It's done on the basis of making woodworking accessible.

The manufacturer of the “William Greaves” does make other versions of this saw but they are about 20tpi. This makes them well suited to small work and more difficult to maintain for the less experienced. The William Greaves is as basic a saw as you will find. A steel back and a turned beech handle is a far cry from a open handled pistol grip and folded brass backs, but it's highly effective and is a very capable performer.

Comfort is critical when working and I'm sure many people would look at the simple handle of a gents saw and wonder if it might be uncomfortable. I've not found it to be a problem. The key is your grip. Don't try and strangle it, this is a balance you develop over time. Enough grip that you can exert control and transmit force, but not some much that you have cramp in your hands. If I could choose, I would prefer the open “pistol grip” handle as it reduces the pressure on the hand, but it's a small benefit unless your output is that of a professional furniture maker.

For something in the £20>£40 price range the fit and finish is excellent and it's very reassuring to purchase something made in the UK that fit for purpose at such a reasonable price. It's not going to win a fashion award or be lusted over, but that's okay. The saw comes sharp and ready to use, but to get really good results it does benefit from a few strokes from the file. If you're new to woodworking I would avoid this step and just go ahead and use it.

I think good quality gents saws are a great option for dovetailing when there’s a budget in mind. Enjoying hand tool focused woodworking doesn’t have to be