Augusta Heckenrose Japanese saw Ryoba - traditional saw with stable ash handle - diamond cut on three sides - special toothing for fine cuts in wood, 250mm

We bought a Japanese saw for the garden on the recommendation of a tree surgeon friend of ours. It was so easy to use (and so sharp) that I thought I would also try some Japanese woodworking saws as well.I ordered a couple of different types, and I got to try this one out when fitting about 30 square yards of 10mm thick laminate flooring over a weekend.I tried it out on a few scraps first, to get the hang of it, and quickly discovered that the two most important things to remember are :-1 - it cuts on the pull stroke, not the push stroke, and2 - you will find it has a perfect angle to cut at, using trial and error, but once you find this it will whistle through timber like a breeze.This saw also has two blades, or rather 2 edges. One is a crosscut saw and the other is a rip saw.This is good, because it means you get 2 saws for the price of one, but it also means that you have to take a little time to remind yourself not to touch the back edge of the blade as it is very sharp. I have, over the years, developed a habit of resting my free hand along the back edge of my tenon saw when cutting thin timer, for extra support. I don't do that anymore!The blade is very thin, so you have to to release your tension on the push stroke so as not to bend it. The habit does comes quickly enough with a bit of practise, but it does need a bit or re-learning if you have any experience with traditional saws.Keeping a straight line also takes a little practise, and you will find that it is easier if you keep the blade angle shallow (keeping the handle down and close to the wood being cut - a bit like when using a panel saw or a gents saw. The handle is an odd thing, to a western woodworker, but it is also something you very quickly get used to. I did get a blister on the inside of my third finger after using it for two days, but this will harden up quickly enough so I'm not over concerned.By Sunday afternoon I was cutting through my laminate at about twice the speed of my standard tenon saw, so I think I'll be sticking with these saws from here on in. The kerf is incredibly fine, and on longer pieces I had to drop a wedge in the end to keep it open.There is a bolt which fixes the blade on the handle, so I am assuming that you can also buy replacement blades should you need them. That said, this one is still as sharp as day one after cutting a lot of laminate and scotia, so I'm hoping it will be a good while yet before I come to that.I am very pleased with this saw and only wish that I had discovered these tools 30 years ago.

Japanese saws seem to be on a bit of a trendy roll right now and not wanting to miss out I bought this ryoba to see what the fuss is about .Firstly, whilst looking like a Japanese ryoba saw it's actually made in Germany. I don't see that as a negative if I'm honest.Being a ryoba you get two saws for the price of one with one side being a crosscut saw and the other a rip cut. Both work very well indeed on oak so no complaints from me. The blade is stainless and of course being a pull saw is thinner than a European push type saw. You do cut a very thin curf indeed.Negatives apply to any pull saw. If you wander off you can't bring it back in line again as the blade is too thin to turn back in again. You have to stop and recut. Starting the cut is slightly harder and lining it up may be a bit more tricky. However, I doubt there is a better way to get a very thin cut in a bit of wood so worthwhile persevering until you get the knack.The blade is replaceable which it would have to be when blunt as the teeth look to be induction hardened.Quality is very good and I like the traditional looks - although I have to admit I do prefer the heft and feel of a proper British or American back saw.This in my opinion isn't a replacement for your old school western saws but a really nice addition to your collection. Using it makes you feel as if you are entering a world just a bit better than the average DIY knock-up.Overall, a great saw and one that I'm glad I have in my collection to be used as needed or when the whim takes me.

Woodworking is one of several activities in which my enthusiasm greatly exceeds any skills I might have and the following comments are those of an amateur for whom woodworking has been an occasional activity over many years rather than an intensely pursued hobby or career.This was the first pull-saw I've tried so I cannot compare it to any other pull-saws. However I've used a variety of push-saws over the years and I've found this pull-saw to be a very pleasing addition to the toolbox; so much so that it has become my first choice for any cut that it is capable of, which is most of what I do. I've used it for cuts that I might previously have chosen to make with a rip-saw, or a tenon saw, or a powered jig saw. My pull-saw cuts are cleaner and straighter and often more accurate than I'd have achieved with a push-saw.As a first example, I was able to obtain a very straight, clean 40cm long cut through 6mm plywood without deviating from the line and without tearing the underside of the board. As a second example I was able to trim flush a protuding board and this cut wouldn't have been possible using a spined tenon saw. By way of a third example, I was able to use the saw while extending a mortice slot; the blade is dragged out of the slot on the cutting stroke whereas with a push saw one the cutting stroke would be into the slot, ramming the end of the blade uncomfortably into the bottom of the slot.I've achieved very clean cuts by holding the saw lightly, pulling firmly, steadily and not very rapidly, and letting the teeth stroke or caress the workpiece. Because this action is relatively gentle I've found it quite easy to adjust the angle of the saw against the workpiece as the cut progresses and I want to bring more or fewer saw-teeth into play. The long handle approximately counter-balances the blade so very little arm pressure is needed to keep the blade at a constant angle relative to the workpiece.I've found two minor drawbacks with this particular tool:The first drawback is that the blade is thin and flexible, and when pushing the saw back in readiness for the next cutting stroke I found it easy to slightly bend the blade at the point where it meets the handle. Straightening things out again was equally easy and there's been no permanent damage. Moreover, as I've tried more cuts I've learned how to better handle the saw so the blade bending isn't an ongoing issue for me.The second drawback is that the bamboo wrapping on the handle doesn't offer much friction and therefore can slip easily through fingers. This occurs because, as noted above, I've found I get best results with light handling. However the occasional slippage isn't a big problem because if fingers slip along the handle the cut simply stops, one re-grips the handle and then continues the pull stroke. I haven't yet decided whether the slippery bamboo is a feature that facilitates light handling, or just a gimmick to make the tool seem exotic. UPDATE: With more use, I often find myself holding the saw very lightly close to the mid-point, where the handle joins the blade, so that the weight of the handle approximately balances the weight of the blade.As regards cutting speed my impression is that the actual cuts take slightly longer to complete than they would if I'd used a push saw, but the end results are cleaner so there's less time needed for tidying-up rough edges.

It matches the quality of my previous saw purchased in Japan at a hardware store. Cool they are so widely available these days.

Es la primera vez que uso una sierra japonesa. Tras varios meses de uso puntual para bricolaje, escribo esta reseña con mis sensaciones.El corte es muy fino y preciso. Se tarda un poco en cogerle el punto pero no es complicado. Estas sierras trabajan tirando, no empujando (al contrario que las sierras occidentales). Para hacer pequeños cores de precisión es una herramienta con la que disfrutas cortando. También es útil para cortes no muy pesados de listones o tacos de madera. En cambio para maderas muy duras o cortes profundos prefiero un serrucho tracional occidental.El dentado basto es más complicado de utilizar, cuesta empezar el corte y deja peor acabado. En estos cortes, me parece que una sierra de costilla o serrucho funciona mejor.El lado de corte fino sí que va muy bien. Fácil de empezar el corte y deja un acabado muy fino, sin astillar la madera.Dejo unas fotos de los dientes tras varios meses de uso. La verdad es que ha aguantado muy bien.

J'ai acheté cette scie il y a 4 ans pour toutes les coupes en mode « flemme de sortir l'artillerie électrique pour scier un bout de bois », et j'en suis très content.L'outil coupe finement et rapidement une fois qu'on l'a en main (le mouvement est pas du tout le même qu'avec une scie à l'occidentale) et avec un peu de pratique on obtient des coupes extrêmement nettes et droites.Au fil des ans : dans de l'agglo mélaminé pour raccourcir des étagères, pas mal de coupes fines pour faire des assemblages en contreplaqué jusqu'à 30mm, des rectifications rapides sur des bouts d'osb et même des fois du bois (ouais ça existe aussi) jusqu'à 70mm de coté sans problème, (pour affleurer des gougeons ça marche aussi).

Great saw, feels nice in the hand and can cut through wood like butter. I only wish the handle was made of a bit more high quality material but it still feels nice to hold and use. Comes with different teeth sizes on both sides of the blade so can tackle multiple scenarios with this. I also really like the protectors that were on the blade for storage to not accidentally cut something.

Piła trafiła do mnie z drobnymi rysami na metalu. Mam nadzieję, że była nowa, ale kto wie. Poza tym wydaje się być ok, jest ostra i dobrze się z niej korzysta