Tenon Saws Vs Dovetail Saws
Tenon saws vs. dovetail saws |
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Tenon and dovetail saws are often referred to as ‘back saws’ because they both have a metal or wooden spine running along the back of their blade.
This spine serves the same purpose on each saw – to keep the blade rigid when sawing, and to add weight to the saw, meaning less effort is require by the user to make cuts. Side by side these two hand saws look very similar, but they do have a few subtle differences. |
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Tenon saw |
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A tenon saw is designed specifically for cutting the cheeks and shoulders of a tenon joint. | |||
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BladeCompared to a dovetail saw, it has a wider, thicker blade with a lower TPI count. |
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TeethBecause cutting tenon joints usually involves cutting across the grain of wood, a tenon saw has ‘crosscut’ teeth, which allow it to do this. |
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Dovetail saw |
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A dovetail saw is designed specifically for cutting dovetail joints. | |||
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BladeCompared to a tenon saw, it has a shorter, thinner blade with a higher TPI. |
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TeethCutting dovetail joints usually involves cutting along the grain, and so a dovetail saw has ‘rip’ teeth, which allow it to do this. |
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