Bad Axe Tool Works 'American Kid' Back Saw: $275
(Delivery: 8-12 weeks)

Tired of hovering over your kids when they're in the shop out of fear that they'll drop one of your high-end saws and break the handle?

Join the club. If your kids are anything like mine (7-year old girl & 9-year old boy), and if you're anything like me (helicopter Dad, sure, I'll admit it), it's really hard to just let them be after you've gifted them a saw for Christmas and shown them how to use it, right? After all--a child won't adopt your interest in woodworking or even hang out in the shop with you if you're constantly telling them: "Watch where you put that saw!" afraid that they'll knock it off the bench or step on it. After all--children act just like little kids, don't they?

So give them a tougher saw. Something that won't break if it's dropped onto the floor, and with a slightly more durable plate with a filing that makes it easy to work with smaller physiques and hands.

Give them an American Kid.

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Specifications:

X-Small, Small, Regular and size Large handles available for your child's hand (or your own inner child seeking a smaller saw).

Traditional Wheeler Madden Clemson-styled open handle available in quartersawn white oak, cherry, walnut, or maple.

.02-gauge plate filed 14 ppi hybrid-cut for maximum flexibility in cutting, with relaxed rake at the toe end of the toothline for ease in starting.

Available in 8-inch toothline.

Other alloys/finishes and wood species available per customer-selected option.

 

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Henry Disston established a historical precedent for this kind of saw. Problem was, old Henry didn't have any daughters. See the ad on the left from 1923? The Disston family marketed childen's saws too, only these were called 'American Boy' saws. You can still find them on eBay. I bought one myself a few years ago for my son's 6th birthday. I knew then and there I was going to follow Henry's example. Particularly since my daughter seemed to demonstrate more interest in the shop than her brother. So initially, I was going to field a child's saw with genderized etches: 'American Boy' and 'American Girl.' But then I realized that between Tom Petty and the American Girl doll series, I might have a legal problem on my hands, so decided to opt for the gender-neutral 'American Kid.'

So--here's the answer to those of you with kids who tend to act like Curious George in the workshop. Channel that energy and fan their burgeoning interest in woodworking by giving them a real tool that fits,will withstand a little abuse, and works for smaller physiques; a tool they'll cherish, and will want to pass on down to their children someday.

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The American Kid from Bad Axe: It's a great alternative to X-Box.