Bad Axe Tool Works™ Saws, Products & Accessories

"I could not be more pleased with the nest of saws Mark hooked me up with. Four original Bad Axe back saws in two sizes, each in a rip and xc version. Customised to my taste, how cool is that? Plus two vintage hand saws that got the Bad Axe treatment to complete the collection. For now that is... These Bad Axe saws are so yummie I dare you to just buy one and keep it at that, just ain't gonna happen! Seriously good saws made by a seriously gifted and very nice guy. I consider myself lucky for knowing Mark and owning these saws and enjoy them very much just about every day. Wishing you all the best from Switzerland, cheers, Bob."

Master Cabinetmaker Bob Gerritsen, Geneva, Switzerland, Menuiserie Bob Sarl

I'm lucky to own some very nice hand tools, both new and old. I can say without reservation that Mark's Bad Axe saws are by far the finest tools in my shop. The saws perform perfectly--they are easy to start, cut quickly and smoothly, and track perfectly. The fit and finish of these saws, and the attention to detail is simply unmatched by any modern sawmaker. Everything from the blade etch, saw nuts, the look and feel of the handle, even the packaging Mark uses are all first class. It will be an honor to hand these saws down to my children or grandchildren some day.

Galoot Josh Clark, Purveyor of Fine Vintage Tools

I often get emails from people asking that age 'ol question--"If I only buy one saw then what should it be?"--well let me honestly say that this is the answer. A back saw filed crosscut but rips as good if not better than some of my dedicated rip saws from other manufacturers. I'm certainly not trying to slag or disrespect any other hand saw manufacturers out there but the proof is in the pudding. These saws are filed so sharp and cut so straight that once you finally get them in your hand you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. The models I have been using this week are filed 12 and 13 tpi respectively and one came tricked out in walnut and the other in cherry. Whether you're a cabinet maker or a boat builder, a luthier or a timber framer, I can't imagine why anyone serious about wood working hasn't made the investment. It'll be the last saw you'll need but I'm damn sure you won't stop at just one.

Master Craftsman Tom Fidgen The Unplugged Woodshop, and author of 'Made by Hand'

Hi Mark . . . the sash saws are awesome. I tried out the crosscut saw first on a 2" thick chunk of white oak. Went right through it, and what amazed me the most was the end grain on the piece after the cut--it was literally smooth as glass. Could not tell it apart from a cut using my forrest blade on the tablesaw, except for the fact that mine was crooked. Then tried the rip on some maple I had laying around, tracked right to the line and cut FAST. These saws have already made me a better hand tool woodworker, and they are also the best-looking tools I own. Thanks again.

Ken Blais, Foster, Rhode Island

Bad Axe Tool Works 14" Sash Saw

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bowie Long before Santa Anna's troops pumped several musket balls into his head with the fall of the Alamo, James Bowie had already established himself as a real Bad Axe in 1827 when a duel suddenly turned south on a bloody sandbar in Natchez, Mississippi. Bludgeoned, shot, and stabbed with a cane sword through his chest, Bowie held his own against four opponents with a large knife his brother Rezin made for him--and that's how the legend of Alamo defender Colonel James Bowie and his knife was born.

So let's take it a step further and see how my 14" sash saw compares to Bowie's knife in the sandbar fight, particularly when filed 12 ppi hybrid-cut on a hardy .025-gauge plate. This is where rugged durability and precision converge at a high level, especially when you're new to hand tools and you want the perfect starter saw that will never outlast its usefullness. It can be used as a larger carcase saw for cuts against the grain, or a medium-range tenon saw when you want to sink it up to the hilt when crafting tenon cheeks with the grain. It's just a great all-around size, and that's why Disston made so many back saws with the same specs well over a century ago that are still floating around on eBay today.

Here's a run-down on the specs:

Traditional Wheeler Madden Clemson-pattern closed handle, available in standard quartersawn white oak, or optional QS cherry,QS walnut or QS hard maple.
Traditional folded gunsmith-blued (black-oxided) carbon steel and optional titanium-nitrided carbon steel sawbacks.
Fasteners in standard brass or optional black-oxided or niter-blued carbon steel.
RC 50-52 .02-thin premium Swedish spring steel sawplate for carcase configuration, and .025-gauge for the sash configuration.
Filed 12 ppi rip or hybrid-cut on the .025-gauge plate, with moderate-to-aggressive rake, and slight fleam & gullet to reduce tearout for sash configuration. For carcase configuration, I recommend 13 ppi x-cut with the .02 plate.
Depth of plate under the back for the .025-gauge hybrid and ripping plate runs 3 5/8" from heel to toe.
Depth of plate under the back for the .02-gauge dedicated x-cut plate runs 3 3/8" from heel to toe.

BAH14 Why do I want this saw? Because it will fit YOUR hand regardless of whether you enjoy wrestling large Japanese men or play first-chair piccolo for the Chicago symphony, and tracks the line like it's on rails. Above all, you get choice: choice in plate gauge, how the toothline is filed, and how you want the saw to look. This saw will certainly be one of the go-to weapons in your woodshop arsenal, serving multiple roles particularly when filed hybrid-cut.

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.

Return to sizing menu

What's the best pitch and filing? I personally recommend 12 ppi dedicated rip or 12 ppi hybrid-cut for the .025-gague plate, or 13 ppi dedicated x-cut with the .02 gauge plate, depending on your requirements. If you're new to hand tools, then the hybrid-filing is a great choice--you won't regret it. For more info on sawfiling angles and how that coupled with plate gauge optimizes the kind of saw best suited for your woodworking method, be sure to read Albert Einstein's treatise on sawplate physics.

The furniture-maker's perfect brace of saws: a 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, doesn't form well, tarnishes, and at the end of the day, just doesn't measure up to carbon steel, which is far stronger and 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. The plating also case-hardens the steel, making an already strong, durable sawback even tougher. Give it a shot--this is a drop-dead gorgeous plating that will retain its deep, rich look for the generations to come.

Don't forget the bench hook set. IMHO, the 14" saw is the perfect size for bench hook utility. They're indespensable when making repetive cuts to length or miter, such as running through a series of baseboard cuts without haluing in a powered chop saw into your living room. And you really don't want to inadvertently saw into the nice Roubo workbech you spent the last few months making because you didn't take the time to make one of these. My bench hook sets are pretty bomb-proof, and while they don't come cheap, you will get double-duty out of it (when one side wears out, just flip it over), and they are very well-made. So for those of you who'd rather spending time working wood rather than making accessories, you might give mine a try.

All Bad Axe Tool Works Saws are highly customizable, and Feature the Following:

Highly-figured 19th-century patterned white oak handles, also available in cherry, walnut and hard maple.
Three handle sizes available: Small, Regular & Large.
Flush-face slotted sawbolts/nuts in brass or carbon steel finished in optional black-oxide or niter-blue with 13/16" deep-dish decorative medallion.
Traditional Folded Carbon Steel sawback.
Standard black-oxided or optional titanium-nitrided (TiN)-plated finish on saw backs.
Premium-grade Swedish Spring Steel Sawplates, RC50-52.
Traditional hammer-set toothline, sharpened to joint.
Bad Axe saw re-sharpening rate $25 nominal fee.
Lifetime guarantee against all material defects.

Learn more about our material choices and saw design rationale.

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