We may receive a commission when you use our affiliate links. However, this does not impact our recommendations.
When I was learning to sharpen and set saws in the 1990s, I was desperate for information. All I had was one modern book, a somewhat helpful video and the attempts I had made on my bargain basement saws. It was a slog.
While today there is a lot more information available on saws and saw sharpening, much of it is conflicting and more complex than necessary. Sharpening a saw is straightforward once someone shows you the path.
That’s why I am pleased to share this new page from Mark Harrell at Bad Axe Tool Works. It’s a complete brain dump on how to assess, restore, sharpen and maintain a backsaw (or handsaw). It doesn’t matter when the saw was made – new or vintage – or how ratty or near-perfect it is. This page shows you how to take care of the saw, keep the teeth sharp and do it all without having to get a PhD in geometry.
Here’s the page: http://www.badaxetoolworks.com/maintenance.php
It’s definitely worth bookmarking. Download the pdfs, read the information and then purchase some triangular files.
Kudos to Bad Axe for putting this information out for free. Like the other great modern toolmakers of our day, such as Lie-Nielsen and Lee Valley, informing the customers is a fantastic way to support the craft.
— Christopher Schwarz
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
