© megaflop/Getty ImagesAlthough woodworking power tools are better designed and more readily available than ever before, handsaws still have a place in every workshop. If you are a beginner or experienced carpenter, chances are you have at least one. If so, you're probably wondering if learning how to sharpen a handsaw is worth it. The short answer is, probably not.
A case against sharpening a hand
Some highly skilled master carpenters still sharpen their saws by hand, but this is rare. I don't know of any serious carpenter who has ever tried this.
That doesn't mean it's never worth doing. But for most beginner and intermediate woodworkers, it's probably a waste of time, and here's why.
Hand saws with hard tips do not need to be sharpened
Many modern saws never need to be sharpened. You just replace them when they get boring. Modern hand saw tooth design and construction make this possible.
Teeth are sharper than factory razors. And they are hard steel, too difficult to sharpen with the files used to sharpen traditional handsaws. This hardness ensures that the teeth remain sharp for a long time. Woodworkers call these tools "hard point saws".
Not all modern hard tip saws cut well. The one that has stuck with me for over a decade is this handsaw from Irwin. It cuts extremely fast and precisely. It can even treat torn cuts in no time.
Sharpening a handsaw requires special tools and skills
A big part of carpentry is keeping cutting tools sharp. Good grinding takes time, skill, practice and often special equipment. So it makes sense to minimize the grinding effort.
With tools such as chisels, gouges and planes, grinding is inevitable. But for hands, hard tip models eliminate the need for sharpening.
In the past, before the invention of hard tip saws, many woodworkers sent their saws to be sharpened by an expert who had all the guides and custom files needed to sharpen each tooth of the saw. The brave few who tried it themselves usually faced a long and arduous task.
Hand sharpened saws do not stay sharp for long
Even if you invest all your time and money into sharpening one hand and learning how to do a perfect job, your saw will not stay sharp for long.
As with all wood carving tools, the sharpening steel is soft enough to sharpen. This means that these saws can never stay sharp as long as hard tip saws. Personally, I tested a useless hand sharpened handsaw against my Hard Point Irwin. I found that the Irwin cut the wood about 10 times before it was blunted.
How to care for a handsaw
Whether you choose a modern hard tip shaft or an older top style racquet, it's important to take good care of it. Therefore:
- Keep it in a safe and dry place to avoid rust.
- Never hold it with your teeth near other metal tools that can tarnish it.
- Always attach a handsaw blade guard to the tooth before storage.
When should I sharpen my hands?
Some experienced woodworkers still like to go the old-fashioned way and sharpen their saws with a non-hard tip. There are a few situations where using this ability still makes sense:
If you are interested in woodworking without power tools
Having started my carpentry business with this passion, I definitely understand the desire to challenge myself as a true carpentry purist and only use electricity to lift your business.
If that's your goal, a hand-sharpened hand saw will perform better than a hard tip general purpose saw.
If you don't have a table saw or circular saw
Most modern carpenters use table saws or hand circular saws to rip. Both produce faster and better results than sawing by hand.
The problem is that table saws are large and expensive. Not everyone can afford it, leaving you with the smallest and cheapest option of a circular saw.
Unless you have a ruler attached to your workpiece for each cut, it takes a lot of skill to make perfectly straight cuts with a circular saw. Pulling also requires dexterity with the hands. However, since the cut is not as fast and aggressive as with a circular saw, beginners make fewer mistakes.
If you like the idea of giving up your table saw and circular saw for ripping, you need to learn how to sharpen your handsaw for ripping.
How to sharpen a handsaw
If you are determined to sharpen your vintage handsaws by hand, be aware that sharpening techniques vary greatly depending on:
- Size and shape of the saw teeth.
- How many teeth per inch (TPI) your saw has.
- Either cross section, longitudinal section or both.
Fair warning: doing good work isn't easy. The first step is to buy the necessary materials.
Tools for sharpening a handsaw
- Saw Adjustment Tool: A pliers-like tool is used to slightly bend each saw tooth outward.
- Saw File Set: These triangular files sharpen and sharpen the metal on each tooth of the saw.
- Handsaw Jaws: These long, thin jaws fit into a vise and hold the hacksaw blade while it is being sharpened. You can make your own by tearing almost the entire center of a 1 x 1 inch. Place a strip of wood the same length as your saw, then insert the saw blade into the cut and clamp the strip of wood in your vise.
- Bench vise: Hold the saw clamp on the bench while sharpening.
How to sharpen a handsaw:
Manual lock available
Choose a handsaw clamp long enough to hold the entire blade. Attach the saw clamp to your work area with a vise. Place the teeth upside down in the saw clamp, leaving most of the saw blade exposed.
Adjust the saw teeth
Hand saw teeth must be bent outwards at a certain angle to function properly. This will ensure that the saw blade cut is slightly wider than the saw blade and will prevent the saw from binding.
During use, the teeth of the saw will bend. So the first step is to reset the teeth with the seed tool. Adjust the tool to match the number of teeth per inch on your handsaw, then adjust each tooth individually.
Choose the right file to refine your hand display
Whether you're sharpening a hand file for rip cuts or cross cuts, you need a file shaped to match the profile of your teeth. The side thickness should be at least twice as wide as the saw tooth height to ensure even file wear.
Balance each tooth
Gently run the file once or twice over the top of the dent, keeping the file perfectly horizontal. This will level each tooth so that the new sharp points are on the same level. The small flat created by the file at the end of each tooth will be shiny, a good visual cue not to grind too much metal.
File each tooth
Starting with the saw tooth closest to the handle, hold the saw file in both hands and use short, controlled strokes on the blade. Unless your saw is very sharp, it may take a pull or two per tooth. If it's really boring, it may take longer.
Sharpen each tooth in turn, one at a time. Be sure to maintain the same pressure and angle for all file strips.
