Bad Axe Tool Works 12″ Hybrid Saw

Don't like cutting dovetails and the occasional small tenon with a dinky little saw? Neither did Wyatt Earp rely on a dinky little gun; the legendary Tombstone lawman preferred a Colt .45 Buntline Special, with a 12" long barrel, citing, "fast is fine, but accuracy is everything." So let's extend that notion to the saw world, and see what happens.

Before designing my 12″ hybrid dovetail/small tenon saw, I asked Bad Axe customers who like my company's facebook page what they thought. Virtually everyone clamored for a longer plate, citing a desire for more accuracy and control when sawing 3/4 up to 6/4 stock, where shorter saws fall—well, short. The Bad Axe 12″ hybrid saw is the happy result—the buntline special of the saw world.

This is a great beginner's choice that experts will still reach for as one of their primary 'go-to' saws, intended for furniture and cabinetry projects. The handle and overall design of the saw is patterned after saws fabricated by Henry Disston in the mid 1870’s. This working replica uses state-of-the-art alloys and finishes to promote corrosion-resistance, and with proper care, last for generations. The thin, .02-gauge plate is made of the finest Swedish Spring steel and generally filed 14 points per inch to facilitate a smooth, yet rapidly-cutting action that will easily craft dovetail joints with the grain, and smoothly-finished crosscuts against the grain.

This premium tool constitutes a perfect starter saw for newcomers to hand tools, and one which seasoned experts will still reach for as one of their primary ‘go-to’ saws in the unplugged workshop.

Specifications:

• Traditional Disston-pattern open handle , available in standard quartersawn white oak, or optional QS cherry, QS walnut and QS hard maple.
• Traditional folded gunsmith hot-blued (black oxided) carbon or optional titanium-nitrided (TiN)-plated carbon steel backs.
• Fasteners in standard brass or optional black-oxided or niter-blued carbon steel fasteners.
• RC 50-52 .02-thin premium Swedish spring steel sawplate.
• Filed 14 ppi rip or hybrid-cut, with moderate-to-aggressive rake, and slight fleam & gullet to reduce tearout.
• Depth of plate under the back runs 2 1/2″ at the heel, and cants to 2 3/8″ at the toe.

Why do I want this saw? Because it will fit your hand regardless of whether you are a linebacker or a tiny dancer, and tracks the line like it's on rails. This saw will likely be THE go-to weapon in your woodshop arsenal, particularly when filed 14-ppi hybrid cut—serving a variety of roles as a robust dovetail saw, carcase saw, or small tenon saw. What's the best pitch and filing? I personally recommend you choose 14 pitch in either x-cut, rip or hybrid-filing for this saw, depending on your requirements. If you're new to hand tools, then you might check out the hybrid-filing. You won't regret it.

The furniture-maker's perfect brace of saws: Bad Axe Stiletto DT Saw and Bayonet Precision Carcase Saw

Like Brass on your saws? Then you're really going to like our new Titanium Nitride-plated sawbacks.

Have you purchased enough brass-backed saws already to know that they just don't age that well? It's a great look, but it doesn't take long for tarnish to set in, and over time a brass-backed saw deforms with hard use, wreaking havoc on your toothline. But it's traditional, right? And conveys a traditional, warm look we all like to see.

But form only goes so far before substance sets in. You very seldom see brass-backed saws longer than 12″ or 14″, because brass just isn't a strong enough an alloy for larger saws. Steel on the other hand presents superior strength and durability. So—we at Bad Axe made the hard choice a couple of years ago to phase brass out of our product line, since it's difficult to work with (it has a 'springy' quality to it), doesn't form well, tarnishes, and at the end of the day, just doesn't measure up to carbon steel, which can take a variety of platings for aethetic purposes.

Enter Titanium Nitride (TiN). Long a favored finish for high-end firearms, titanium nitride presents stellar corrosion and wear-resistance, Titanium-Nitride hits the sweet spot when it comes to form following function. The tone falls between the look you get between brass and bronze, so it certainly scratches that aethetic itch you get when wishing you had a little more brass love in the Bad Axe world. And the really cool thing about it? We can apply Titanium Nitride on our largest sawbacks, where the strength and durability of a steel-backed saw is paramount.

So what are you getting for the $75 upcharge? It's obviously not cheap—because it's not a cheap plating process for us to apply. But what you get is corrosion and wear resistance, along with that deep, brass/bronze look that retains its golden lustre over time. Give it a shot—this is a drop-dead gorgeous plating that will retain its deep, rich look for the generations to come.

Sizing Handles that Fit Your Hand

Here's my hand: it measures about 3 3/4" across. That's what I'm calling regular, and it will work with a range from 3 5/8" and start getting tight at 3 7/8." Bigger hands just under 4" up to 4 1/8" spans will require the size Large handle. Going the opposite direction, if the span of your hand measures in the 3 ¼ up to 3 1/2" range, then we're looking at a size small handle.

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