Sharpening japanese style

[Paul Atzenweiler]

I recently sharpened a saw I had purchased on ebay and I was going to resaw a piece of oak in response to a post by indranil. I knew the saw was sharp and I used it to make shallow rip cuts for some joints and it worked very well. It became obvious very quickly that even though it was sharp it was terrible at resawing. The saw drifted to the left horrible. I continued and fought the whole process thinking I would have a good example of what a cut from a badly "set" saw would look like. This HORRIBLE cut is from a sharp saw that is not set well. I will have to figure out exactly where the problem with this saw lies. I have 2 rip saws I use and they stay on track very well. I will be very interested in your post about "setting" as my experience with setting has been limited to correcting individual problem teeth.

[Sebastian Gonzalez]

I recently sharpened a saw I had purchased on ebay and I was going to resaw a piece of oak in response to a post by indranil. I knew the saw was sharp and I used it to make shallow rip cuts for some joints and it worked very well. It became obvious very quickly that even though it was sharp it was terrible at resawing. The saw drifted to the left horrible. I continued and fought the whole process thinking I would have a good example of what a cut from a badly "set" saw would look like. This HORRIBLE cut is from a sharp saw that is not set well. I will have to figure out exactly where the problem with this saw lies. I have 2 rip saws I use and they stay on track very well. I will be very interested in your post about "setting" as my experience with setting has been limited to correcting individual problem teeth.

can you take a picture of the teeth, both from the side and from the top or back of the saw? Trying to focus on how the set looks like.

Did you try running your fingers along the teeth? I hold the teeth between my finger tips and travel the edge from one side to the other. Sometimes fingers are better at seeing than eyes. If there is a bump you should feel it immediately. Or a tooth that's too much set.

Now, I had the experience of cutting ash with one saw, and getting a perfect match when resawing, but trying rosewood and getting the bump with the same saw. So it depends on the wood too. It also gets better with time, the more I saw, the better it gets.

Btw, Jason wrote a review of two of my saws. You can check it here http://mypeculiarnature.blogspot.nl/201 ... stian.html

My idea was to send him just one saw, the big one. The one with the big gullets it was really bent, so I almost gave up hope with it. That's why I decided to break some teeth and file it down. It was such a pleasant surprise that I needed to share it with him.

[Paul Atzenweiler]

I have not identified any "one" tooth. It may be teeth on one side just have more set. I may be able to correct it by honing that side? I think I will concentrate some of my other saws and sharpening in general first.

[Paul Atzenweiler]

There is also the more likely scenario-the saw is perfect and there is a dummy running it!!

[Sebastian Gonzalez]

I have not identified any "one" tooth. It may be teeth on one side just have more set. I may be able to correct it by honing that side? I think I will concentrate some of my other saws and sharpening in general first.

You should be able to "feel" with your fingers if one side has more set. You could indeed file that side, but I would try it in other wood first. Check the geometry, maybe it's too step for hard wood. I would do the honing only if you are sure one side has more set, which in my experience has not yet being the case. (And if it were, I would go for a soft hammering to one side instead of honing.) Since you hammer the set in japanese teeth, it's actually quite easy to give them a uniform set, just drop the hammer from the same height always.

Other option is that the teeth are punched and not filed. I have one saw like that from Sakura pink, which is where I guess you got yours. My saw had a small burr in one side from the press, not a really high quality tool. You need to file that out and leave the teeth symmetric.

Also, a sharper saw will cut more easily in a straight line. I would say just touch up the saw and give it another try. Worst case scenario you get some practice, both sharpening and sawing.

[Chris Pyle]

I have a couple saws I could send your way. They were some new, old stock I picked up off ebay. They haven't been used yet but I have doubles of at least one of them so I could compare how they came from factory/maker to the ones you sharpen. Let me get some pictures and I'll see what you think about them. I don't know what postage costs would be?

[Paul Atzenweiler]

I did think that it could be a manufacturing problem where all the shaping was done from one side. The saw appeared to be new when I received it. I have so many saws (but I'm sure I will get more) I really need to figure out the issues of sharpening and setting. I really like your sharpening tutorials and videos.

[Sebastian Gonzalez]

I have a couple saws I could send your way. They were some new, old stock I picked up off ebay. They haven't been used yet but I have doubles of at least one of them so I could compare how they came from factory/maker to the ones you sharpen. Let me get some pictures and I'll see what you think about them. I don't know what postage costs would be?

I don't know where you are... but to america is 18 euros for 2 saws "schnell", that's fast. From germany is slightly cheaper. Europe should also be cheaper than that but no less than 10 I think. Looking forward to those pictures!

[Sebastian Gonzalez]

I did think that it could be a manufacturing problem where all the shaping was done from one side. The saw appeared to be new when I received it. I have so many saws (but I'm sure I will get more) I really need to figure out the issues of sharpening and setting. I really like your sharpening tutorials and videos.

I would say that is it then. A close up picture would be great, to see which saw is it and compare them with mines. If it's a "factory" problem, then there is one solution for all of them.

Glad to hear you like them, there is still more to come, I just need to find some time. Last week I was on sick leave but now I'm back to work, sadly

[Paul Atzenweiler]

I like your saw vise set up, but believe it or not I don't have an area to sit and sharpen so I wanted to adapt it to the work bench. I don't know if I will need to make adjustments so I didn't spend a lot of time making great joints and used screws. I just used some scrap pine. When I feel I have it figured out I will make a more refined version. The whole set up is able to sit on the bench and is stable with just gravity-no clamps. After using it for just a little bit I really like it.