Just realized I'm the only guy on my crew who still uses a handsaw for finish cuts

I mean, everyone else has switched to those little cordless multi-tools for trim work, and they give me a hard time about it. I had to choose between buying into that whole system or sticking with my old Japanese pull saw. I picked the saw. For a tricky miter on some oak crown molding in a Denver remodel last month, the multi-tool guys were fighting chatter and burning the wood. I just took my time with the handsaw, got a clean cut right on the line, and had less dust to clean up. It maybe took an extra minute, but the fit was perfect. I get that power tools are fast, but for control on the final cut, I think the old way still has a place. Has anyone else stuck with hand tools for specific jobs when everyone moved on?

2 comments

2 Comments

lucas5519d ago

Read an article a while back about how surgeons sometimes train with chopsticks to improve their fine motor skills. Your story about that oak crown totally reminds me of that. There's just a different kind of control you get from a sharp hand tool that no battery can match. Speed isn't the only thing that matters on a job site, especially for the final look. That clean cut with less dust proves your point.

sagesingh8d ago

My miter saw made me a believer.