Bad Axe Tool Works Tool Works 12" Carcase Saw, $210

Customize Your Saw:

Handle Preference

Closed Wheeler Pattern - standard Open Disston Pattern

Wood Species Preference

American Black Cherry - standard American Black Walnut - add $10 Texas Honey Mesquite - add $12.50

Back Preference

Gunsmith-Blued Steel - Standard Stainless Steel - add $10 Black Pearl Nickel-Plated Steel - add $12.50 Brass - add $22.50 Copper - add $40

Points Per Inch

14 ppi 13 ppi 12 ppi Custom - please specify

Filing Preference

X-Cut Hybrid-Cut Rip-Cut

Plate Thickness

.02 - standard .025 Ripping Plate - add $5

Fastener Preference

Brass Slotted - standard Brass Split Nuts - add $15 Stainless Steel Slotted - add $17.50 >Stainless Steel Split Nuts - add $20 Gunsmith Hot-Blued Steel Slotted - add $20 Gunsmith Hot-Blued Steel Split Nuts - add $22.50 Gunsmith Niter-blued Steel Slotted Nuts - add $27.50 Gunsmith Niter-Blued Steel Split Nuts - add $30

Make a Deposit

Got . . . copper? New for Fall 2011 is my 12" Carcase Saw tricked out with a copper sawback. It's a great match with a beautiful closed Wheeler or open Disston-inspired mesquite or walnut handle patterned after those produced in the late 19th century. Finished the handle off with my hot-blued fasteners, and the overall effect is stunning.

Why copper? Why not . . . it's bling, pure and simple. I call it the Copperhead Killer look. Copper forms quite well, and that's one of the reasons I like it, but it also looks particularly sweet against the darker handle species like walnut and mesquite. Make no doubt, the copper option is expensive, but for a tool you'll pass down to the next generation, maybe it's worth it--to you. You'll find this fine alloy available for my 10" dovetail, 12" hybrid dovetail/small tenon and the 14" sash saws as well. I've also begun offering brass sawbacks for those of you desiring a more traditional look and heft for your backsaws, an alloy our British cousins in particular truly dig.

This is the saw you will want for fine work, whether ripping or cross-cutting small tenons, or for fine to medium crosscut work in general. Be sure to check out my bench hooks to accessorize this great tool when it's filed in crosscut mode. The key thing is to tell me about your upcoming project, the most prevelant wood species you intend to use, and typical cut dimensions you think you'll encounter. That way, I can custom-file your saw to best suit your needs, given the way I employ my saw sharpening techniques.

New for 2011 is the black pearl nickel-plated finish available for the sawback. Nickel-plating is particularly durable, on par with stainless steel in its ability to withstand the corrosive nature of humidity and coastal air on carbon steel. You'll find this finish on high-end firearms, and on other applications where form and substance converge at a high level. And on that note, it looks just great--the deep black pearl lustre of this finish on carbon steel polished at 400 grit not only looks fabulous, but serves a completly practical role in scratch and corrosion resistance. With proper care, this saw will look just as good a century from now as it does today.

So how do I want this puppy filed?: You might notice a new category in the specifications choice block to the right. I've decided to offer three filings you can designate with your order, for rip-cut, hybrid-cut and x-cut. What's hybrid-cut? You may have heard that my x-cut saws can rip, and that my rip saws can x-cut. I've decided to let you decide whether you want a dedicated rip or x-cut saw, which has mostly to do with the angle of rake and fleam I put on the tooth. Many people just starting out in the world of hand tools (read--free-falling down the slippery slope of hand tools) prefer my hybrid-cut, which gives you the quality of a dedicated rip or x-cut saw, but enables you to switch modes on the fly. What's the cost? About a 20% loss in speed when ripping. For instance, with this 12" carcase saw, I'd recommend filing it 14 ppi dedicated x-cut, 13 ppi hybrid, or 12 ppi dedicated rip. The 13 ppi hybrid hits that sweet spot in the middle that will give you a fantastic x-cut finish with about a 20% slowdown when in rip mode. Is this a problem? Absolutely not--no one's running a race. But the hybrid-cut is a great choice for those of you just starting out in hand tools, and want the most flexible saw for your buck before adding more Bad Axe weaponry to your arsenal.

Also new for 2011 are options you can exercise to customize your saw. Choose between cherry, walnut, or mesquite handles, and tune the appointments of your saw with optional stainless steel or black pearl nickel-plated carbon steel backs, and fasteners now available in brass, stainless, and gunsmith hot-blued or niter-blued carbon steel. Two fastener designs: Slotted for durability, and split-nuts for those who prefer a more vintage look.

Right now, I'm running a 10-12 week backlog with orders, so the best way to lock your place in the queue is to place a deposit on your saw via the PayPal form on the right. Hate making you wait, but this will be an easy, two-part transaction easy on the pocketbook when the balance is due.

After paying the deposit, you will populate my queue, and I will advise you of the delivery date in my follow-up email. Upon building your saw, I will send you another invoice with shipping costs for the balance due and ship it out no later than one business day after full payment is rendered.