Common types of hand saws include rip saws, crosscut saws, back saws, coping saws, hacksaws, keyhole saws, pruning saws, and Japanese saws. Each saw is designed for specific tasks like cutting wood along or across grain, fine joinery, metal cutting, curved cuts, or pruning branches.
There are so many different types of hand saws on the market that it can be pretty intimidating when walking through your local hardware saw. There are a few very versatile options but most a highly specialized for certain types of material or woodworking tasks.
Whether you are a lumberjack, a carpenter, or a woodworker, you can find the type of hand saw that will suit your purposes in this guide.
Table of Contents
1. Coping Saw
The first on my list is a coping saw. It is primarily used in carpentry and general woodworking for intricate shapes. The primary advantage is that the blade can be removed and poked through a drill hole to allow cutting in difficult to reach spots.
The blade is held between a square shaped frame which allows you to continue cutting a reasonable distance away from the top of the frame.
The teeth on a coping saw are directed towards the handle so it cuts when pulled towards you. They generally have between 15 and 17 TPI, making it a fine-tooth design.
Best Suited For
A coping saw is best suited for cutting moldings and fretwork, especially in thin wood.
Also Known As
Fine finish saw
Pros
- An easily removable blade can be fed through a drilled hole in a piece of wood
- It can cut gentle curves due to the thin blade
- The blade can be adjusted to a slight angle
Cons
- The thin blade can be damaged if too much pressure is applied
2. Bow Saw
A bow saw is a popular option, also known as a bucksaw. Its primary advantage is the wide frame that allows the blade to saw through wood a long distance from hitting the frame, generally up to 6 inches away. There are many different designs for a bow saw, including using a turnbuckle or twisted cord to provide enough tension to hold the blade in place.
Best Suited For
A bow saw is best suited for rough cutting of firewood or branches up to 6 inches in diameter.
Also Known As
Bucksaw, Swede saw, Finn saw
Pros
- Able to cut large diameter wood
- The blade is easily removed or replaced
Cons
- Rough teeth that produce an uneven finish
3. Fret Saw
Like a coping saw, a Fret Saw is used for intricate wood cutting with tighter curves. It has a much tighter radius on the length of the frame and a shorter, thinner blade. The blade is generally much finer than other saws, with more teeth per inch at around 32 TPI.
The blade can be removed and poked through a drill hole to access difficult to reach locations.
Best Suited For
Ideally used for cutting tight curves into thin wood.
Also Known As
Scroll saw
Pros
- The increased depth of the frame allows access further away from the wood’s edge
- Easily removable blade with wingnuts
Cons
- The blade is much more fragile than a coping saw
4. Keyhole Saw
A keyhole saw has a very long and narrow blade that can be inserted through a small hole to cut out difficult to reach areas. This is a very versatile option to get to those awkward places. They are also very popular when used with drywall because the sharp blade tip can be pushed directly through the material.
These are a smaller and thinner version of a compass saw.
Best Suited For
A keyhole saw is best suited for cutting through drywall without drilling a hole first.
Also Known As
Jab saw, drywall saw, plasterboard saw, alligator saw
Pros
- Can access difficult to reach areas
- The sharp tip can push through soft materials
Cons
- Not suitable for tougher materials or hardwoods
5. Crosscut Saw
A crosscut saw is a versatile saw used for coarse wood cutting. The feature is the tooth design with an alternative pattern, making it suitable for cutting across the grain of the wood. Crosscut saws are good for cutting off thicker diameter branches or cutting lumber with a handle at one end.
Crosscut saws can also be gigantic, with a handle at each hand, which earns them the name of the lumberjack saw.
Best Suited For
A crosscut saw is best suited for coarse wood cutting such as logging or bucking, but can also be used for carpentry.
Also Known As
Lumberjack saw
Pros
- Large teeth make quick progress through rough woods
Cons
- Large and difficult to manoeuvre for any delicate or neat cutting work
6. Hack Saw
One of the most common saws in any workshop is the hack saw. This thin blade with fine teeth is designed to cut through thin materials – such as plastic or metal. The blade is held under tension across a frame, held in place with wingnuts. This allows the edge to access difficult to reach locations or cut through large diameter pipes.
The teeth per inch are typically between 18 and 32, making it extremely fine.
Best Suited For
A hack saw is best suited for cutting through metal or PVC pipes.
Also Known As
Nil
Pros
- Multi-purpose saw that should be included any everyone’s workshop
Cons
- The blade can snap when too much force is applied perpendicular to the blade
7. Back Saw
A back saw is a type of handsaw used for cutting dovetails, the joints used to join the sides of drawer together. It is also occasionally used to cut other joints or materials, such as chopping mortises. Back saws are usually made of steel with brass or plastic handles. They often have a stiff piece of metal, called stiffening rib, opposite to the cutting edge for reinforced stability.
The teeth are usually set in a pattern with 14 TPI (teeth per inch); however, 12 TPI patterns are also common.
Best Suited For
Back saws are best suited for making precision cuts, such as making dovetail joints in carpentry.
Also Known As
Tenon saw, dovetail saw, carcass saw, sash saw
Pros
- The fine teeth and narrow blades make it suitable for accurate, exact cuts
Cons
- The stiffening rib limits the depths that the saw can cut
8. Pruning Saw
Pruning saws are designed for gardeners or lumber workers to easily remove branches from trees or logs. They have a curved, medium-length blade.
They typically have a medium coarseness of 7-8 TPI and do not provide a neat finish but are effective in removing garden foliage or sap-heavy green wood.
Best Suited For
A pruning saw is best suited for gardeners to remove overgrown branches from trees.
Also Known As
Garden saw, log saw, branch cutter
Pros
- Can easily remove twigs and foliage from garden trees
- Often available in a folding design as well
Cons
- It does not produce a neat finish
9. Folding Saw
Folding saws can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Their primary feature is that there is a pivot point between the blade and the handle allowing the saw to fold in half, with the blade fitting inside the handle. This makes this saw extraordinarily portable and easy to store or transport.
Folding saws typically feature a pruning saw blade.
Best Suited For
When camping, a folding saw is best suited for cutting thin branches or logs.
Also Known As
Camping saw
Pros
- Easy to store and transport – doesn’t take up much space
Cons
- Generally comes with coarse teeth that don’t leave a neat finish for woodworking
10. Bone Saw
A bone saw is a surgical instrument used to cut bones. It has a handle with a blade, which may be straight, serrated, curved, or toothed. The blade is rotated by hand, producing a reciprocating action to cut through the bone. There are two main types of bone saw: manual and electric. Manual bone saws are commonly used in orthopedic surgery to resect (cut out) bone that is tumor-ridden or infected, while electric saws are more common in plastic surgery.
They are often made from stainless steel to prevent corrosion.
Best Suited For
A bone saw is best suited for cutting through bones in a surgical situation or by a butcher or hunter.
Also Known As
Nil
Pros
- Are perfectly suited for cutting through bone quickly and easily
Cons
- Very specialist device for a specific purpose
11. Compass Saw
A compass saw is used for making curved cuts, especially in difficult to reach locations. The blade is very long and thin with a sharp point, allowing it to access confined spaces. The handle typically has a pistol grip and is designed to cut through soft wood or drywall.
A compass saw looks similar to a keyhole saw but has a longer blade and can cut through harder material. You can get retractable or removable blades on a compass saw.
Typically found with 8-10 TPI but can go up to 20 TPI.
Best Suited For
A compass saw is best suited for making curved cuts in softwoods and difficult to access spaces.
Also Known As
Nil, although it can be confused with a keyhole saw
Pros
- Able to access difficult locations
- Can punch through drywall
- Can make curved cuts
Cons
- Not suitable for hardwoods or other materials
12. Rip Saw
Rip saws have a rip tooth pattern with the edges sharpened at right angles, giving it more of a chisel-like function rather than like a knife. This allows it to cut along the grain of hard wood more efficiently. This design also helps to remove wood chips making the subsequent stroke more efficient.
Rip saws are typically very coarse with 4-10 TPI and cut on the push stroke.
Best Suited For
A rip saw is best suited for making a cut parallel to the wood grain.
Also Known As
Panel saw, wood saw, general-purpose hand saw, rip-cut saw
Pros
- Able to cut through large hardwood
Cons
- Its coarse finish is not suitable for intricate woodworking
13. Pit Saw
Pit saws were originally used in saw pits – they have a long, stiff blade up to 14 feet long (Source). The saw is controlled by holding the handle and standing above the log by the top man – a second lumber worker, the pit man, will often guide the blade from below.
The teeth are designed to cut on the push stroke.
Best Suited For
A pit saw is best suited for sawing large lumber by a two-person team in a saw pit.
Also Known As
Whipsaw
Pros
- Can make short work of reducing large logs to beams and planks
Cons
- Not commonly used in modern lumber operations
- Unless you already have a saw pit and a two-person team, then I don’t think this would be very useful in your workshop
14. Turning Saw
Turning saws are specially designed to cut curves. They have long, narrow blades with fine teeth. They are built with a wide frame, allowing the blade to cut deeper. Turning saws are specialist woodworking equipment.
Best Suited For
Turning saws are best suited for cutting curves in woodworking, such as chair backs or scrollwork.
Also Known As
Nil, although they can be confused with a bow saw.
Pros
- Able to cut intricate and delicate curves for complex woodworking
Cons
- A very specialist tool with limited versatility
15. Japanese Saw
A Japanese saw, or nokogiri is a traditional Japanese hand saw used in carpentry. Because of its thin blade, it is the Japanese equivalent of a Western saw. It differs from the Western saw in many ways, such as having no set, teeth on both sides and slightly bent to cut in any direction. The nokogiri was originally made to cut various soft woods, including cypress, pine, and bamboo.
Today, it is used for general carpentry work and cutting intricate patterns out of wood.
Best Suited For
When working with soft woods, Japanese saws are best suited for delicate and intricate carpentry.
Also Known As
Nokogiri
Pros
- It gives a very controlled and narrow cut
Cons
- You can’t apply much pressure on a pull stroke compared to a push stroke, so it isn’t as suited for cutting hardwoods
16. Two Man Forest Saw
Two-man forest saws were used extensively for felling and logging operations before the invention of the chainsaw. They can be 4 to 12 feet long with a handle on each end. The teeth are designed to cut in both directions, allowing both sawyers to contribute effort. They are used in combination with felling wedges to remove wood chips continually.
Best Suited For
Two-man forest saws are best suited for felling large trees.
Also Known As
Clearing saw, misery whip
Pros
- Able to fell huge trees
Cons
- Requires a two-person felling team
- Fell out of favor with the invention of the chainsaw
17. Manual Chain Saw
A manual chain saw takes a chain and attaches a handle on each end. This replaces the engine of a chainsaw with your own elbow grease. It also becomes much more versatile and portable. This can be much faster for trimming trees or cutting firewood than a manual hand saw but is much slower than a powered chain saw.
Best Suited For
Manual chain saws are best suited for cutting firewood or trimming trees.
Also Known As
Pocket chain saw
Pros
- It can be much faster than a manual hand saw
- Easily transportable by folding up
Cons
- Much slower than a powered chainsaw
