Bad Axe Tool Works Large Tenon Saw, The Roubo Beastmaster: $275

Customize Your Saw:

Handle Preference

American Black Cherry - standard American Black Walnut - add $10

Back Preference

Gunsmith-Blued Steel - standard Stainless Steel - add $10 Black Pearl Nickel-Plated Steel - add $12.50

Points Per Inch

9 ppi Custom - please specify

Filing Preference

Rip-cut Hybrid-Cut X-Cut

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

Here's a saw that just might be the cure for baldness--the Roubo Beastmaster. With a full five inches below the back, I've designed this 18" saw for those who want to build a Roubo workbench in its classic design with the double sliding dovetail tenon joint piercing through a massive 5" thick benchtop. So--if you prefer driving a Dodge Ram dually pickup, shooting a .44 magnum handgun, and wear a Rolex Submariner on your wrist, don't let the opportunity to wield this bad boy in your woodshop pass you by.

Why do I want this saw? Because you're bald (like me, dammit). But there are other, equally compelling reasons: This is a rugged timber-framer's saw designed for demanding requirements. It has a .0315-thick sawplate filed 9 ppi rip--a coarse filing intended to hog out a deep cut without sacrificing the kind of precision you'll want when crafting a mortise & tenon joint. Though predominantly intended for making deep cuts in Southern Yellow Pine, Doug Fir, and other species prevalent in timber framing, it will also cut well in hardwoods, depending on pitch selection and the degree of set--that's where you'll need to tell me about the kind of projects you intend for this saw, so I can tune it according to your specific needs, given my saw filing techniques. You'll also find that though this is a dedicated ripping saw, the five degrees of fleam I add to the teeth goes a long way in enabling you to make the occasional crosscut for tenon shoulders with no problem. So--at the end of the day, here's the saw you'll want whether crafting a Roubo workbench or timber-framing your house.

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.

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.