Saws date back 5,000 years and of all hand tools, they were among the most technically complex to manufacture. To work well, saw blades had to maintain a delicate balance of hardness so that they would stay sharp, stiffness so that they could be pushed through the work, flexibility so that they would bend and not break under stress, and smoothness of surface so that they would not bind in the cut.
In the 18th century, they were made in a variety of shapes and sizes designed for different jobs. Woodworkers used large saws to cut wood into planks, boards, and veneers. Smaller saws were used to cut boards into parts, to cut joints, and to make decorative piercings. Until at least the mid-19th century, saws were made laboriously by hand. The teeth were filed out individually, then "set" by striking alternate teeth with a hammer against a "stake" or small anvil.
The Japanese saw is a type of saw that traditionally cuts on the pull stroke, unlike the European saw that cuts on the push stroke. This allows it to have thinner blades that cut more efficiently and leave a narrower cut width (kerf). Silex Tools have a fantastic range of Silky Japanese Saws for all applications. These saws are designed for maximum impact with minimal effort, precision cutting to minimize damage to the tree and ease of repetition, and are used around the world by professional arborists and horticulturalists.
