Bad Axe Tool Works - The 16" Tenon 'Jack' Saw

Bad Axe Tool Works™ Saws, Products & Accessories

Bad Axe 16" Tenon Back Saw

Bad Axe 18" Large Tenon Back Saw

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Mark, this is without a doubt the finest saw I have ever used since using more and more hand tools in my woodworking. I am building 3 tables for a customer and each has a numbers of tenons. Once I adjusted for the weight of the saw, it is so easy to start if you let weight of the saw do the work, I zipped though those tenons quicker than the time it takes to set up my tenon jig for the table saw. I have also used it for crosscuts in all types of wood from oak to poplar, lines marked of course with my kick-ass Bad Axe pencil.

— Rick Lasita, Humbolt, TN
Visit Rick's First Light Woodworking Blog

When I opened my new 16" Bad Axe Tenon saw, I noticed that it weighed more than any of my other saws because of its beefy construction. The more I used it, the more I really liked the weight of the saw and how it was able to plow through white oak leaving a beautiful smooth face on the tenons I was cutting. Mark sharpened my saw with the "hybrid cut" so it also makes a ready to dovetail surface on my crosscuts. This saw is easy to control and wonderful to use even for a new-bie hand sawyer like myself.

— Marilyn Guthrie, Seattle, WA
Read Marilyn's great Woodworking Blog

I just can't believe the control and speed I have. I've read all about your saws, which is why I chose to go with yours over others for this purchase. But using is everything. Just for comparison's sake, I contrasted your saw with an old Disston that I sharpened about two years ago that has seen very little use. There really is no comparison. Granted, my sharpening skills leave much to be desired, but that Disston was leaps and bounds better after I sharpened it. However, it very simply cannot compare to the Bad Axe. The tracking, the speed . . . it's all just mindblowing. I have to get more time in. I crave that feeling. I have to get more saws! Really, thanks again. I cannot sing the praises of this saw any louder.

— Jim Burton, Denton, TX

I decided to try a Bad Axe saw after reading positive reviews in woodworking magazines. I needed a large back saw that could make an angled cut over 3" deep through the side of a board to create a scarf joint for a guitar neck/head assembly. I found the Bad Axe saw to be ideal for this application. The saw encourages accurate work, feels comfortable in the hand, and is beautiful to look at. It has become one of my most used and enjoyed tools.

— Luthier Bart Hovis, Kirkwood, MO See how Bart makes guitars

The jack saw has definitely played a huge role in the construction process of this furniture (project). All of the bases for the tables are built with either 12/4 or 16/4 walnut. This stock was too thick to be cut at the chopsaw or the tablesaw...so rock the Bad Axe!!!! We processed piles of table parts and cut them to length with the Jack Saw. The saw just eats wood for breakfast. It is perfectly tuned for fast cuts through walnut! When you cut this heavy stock in a chopsaw it can get hairy, but the Jack Saw takes it in stride!

— Furniture Designer Jared Wayne, Cincinnati, OH, Reach Jared on Facebook

See'The Jack Saw' in action on YouTube

...squaring the ends of a 5X walnut post for the Roubo Workbench

Bad Axe Tool Works 16" Large Tenon Saw: The Jack Saw $240

Customize Your Saw:

Handle Preference

Back Preference

Points Per Inch

Filing Preference

Fastener Preference

Make a Deposit

Nicknames are assigned, not self-promoted, and Tom Fidgen calls this my 'Jack Saw.' This saw features a 4" deep x 16" long premium-grade Swedish spring steel sawplate, a firearms-grade, hot-blued carbon steel or optional stainless steel back, cherry or optional walnut handle, and standard brass slotted fasteners or an array of optional slotted and split nut fasteners in three alloys: brass, gunsmith-blued steel and stainless steel. Standard filing suitable for most purposes are 11 ppi rip and 12 ppi x-cut. Be sure to check out my bench hooks to accessorize this great tool if you'd like it filed in crosscut mode.

What's unique about this saw: Hands-down, the Jack Saw is my best seller. While my 18" saw (The Beast) with its thicker plate remains the top choice for a dedicated rip saw, you just can't go wrong with the Jack Saw for crosscuts if you are relatively new to hand tools, and are just now building your nest of saws. My advice to newcomers is to start out with this guy in 11 or 12 ppi filed x-cut or hybrid cut, and when you're ready to purchase a dedicated ripping saw, consider the Jack saw in 11 ppi rip or the 18" Beast in 10 ppi rip. 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. 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?: Speaking of hybrid-cut, 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 16" tenon saw, I'd recommend filing it 11 ppi dedicated rip, 12 ppi hybrid, or 12 ppi dedicated x-cut. Those of you who want a super-fine x-cut finish for more delicate furniture-quality work may elect the 13 ppi dedicated x-cut. That said, I believe the 12 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 (unless you're competing at the WIA Hand Tool Olympics). 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.

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 select your options now and click through the PayPal process on the right to make a deposit. After paying the deposit, you will populate my queue, and I will advise you of the delivery date in my follow-up email. Hate making you wait, but this winds up being an easy, two-part transaction that won't drain your wallet up front while you're waiting for your saw.

And on a final note: if you change your mind about the options you select today when making your deposit, don't sweat it. I will shoot you an email the week before I'm ready to build your saw to solicit any changes you wish to make at that time, and there will be no penalty for changing those options around.

All Bad Axe Tool Works Saws Feature the Following:

Custom filing available at same price per request
Highly-figured 19th-century patterned cherry handles
Flush-face slotted or split-nuts sawbolts/nuts in three alloys and four finishes with a 13/16" deep-dish decorative medallion
Firearms-quality hot-blued finish on traditionally-folded steel back
Optional bright-polished stainless steel back
Premium-grade Swedish Spring Steel, RC50-52
I personally guarantee that these saws are SHARP out of the box, with appropriate joint, set and rake. Every tooth does its duty. I fully guarantee this saw for one year after purchase.

Learn more about my material choices and rationale.

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