ToughBuilt has come out with a new folding pull saw, featuring a double-edged 10-inch blade for both coarse rip-cutting and fine cross-cutting.
ToughBuilt – a ToolGuyd sponsor – has told me that this is just the first in their new line of hand saws, which will also include a folding jab saw, PVC saw, hacksaw, and wood-cutting saws.
The new pull saw is designed for making straight cuts in wood, and with a quick-folding handle that’s easy to store.
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The saw features a quick-fold pivoting mechanism that allows for fast and easy opening.
It has a triple-injected molded handle for maximum comfort and control. Within the handle, a steel sub-structure increases the saw’s rigidity and durability, for straighter and more accurate cuts.
One cutting edge has a 7-10 TPI progressive tooth profile, for rip cuts, and the other has a 17 TPI tooth profile for finer cuts.
7-10 TPI – ideal for rip-cutting
17 TPI – ideal for fine cross-cutting
The finer-cutting edge should work well for flush-cutting dowels, or other such applications where a clean finish is desired.
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Price: $25
Discussion
I am no stranger to ToughBuilt products, or pull saws.
I’ve been excited for this launch, partially because I am a big fan of pull saws, and also because this reminds me of the fantastic ToughBuilt folding bolt cutters I bought 11 years ago.
ToughBuilt sent over a test sample (thank you!), and I’ll be putting it to use on upcoming projects.
So far, I like that the handle is as quick and easy to open and close as advertised. The blade seems straight, and the cutting edges as sharp as I would expect from a brand new pull saw.
There were 3 surprises.
First, the blade seems to have minimal set, which should improve its performance for flush-cutting tasks. I have a few pull saws, even ones advertised for flush-cutting tasks, which have too much set. The ToughBuilt seems to be flat enough to where I won’t have to protect workpieces as much against scratching.
Second, the saw arrives covered with large stickers on both sides, holding the blade edge guards in place. This is preferable to plastic clamshell packaging, but would the stickers remove cleanly? YES, they do! I was grateful I didn’t have to break out any adhesive-busting chemicals.
Lastly, the locking bar that holds the handle in the closed position disappears into the handle during use. But, I couldn’t get it back out without using a knife to pry it out! I then tried something different, and applying pressure to the handle release tab (the part shaped like a shark fin) pops the bar out without any prying.
The lock bar says “lift to unlock”; a sticker on the shark fin might have saved me some guessing.
The only thing that would make this sweeter, in my opinion, is if replacement blades were available. But on the other hand, I have a couple of other pull saws where it would be less expensive for me to buy replacement saws than just fresh blades.
I checked with ToughBuilt, and they implied replacement blades could be available in the future if there’s user demand. They also added:
The teeth are induction hardened and the thin profile of the blade and flexibility should provide the incredible resilience and long-lasting durability which traditional Japanese pull saws are known for.
All in all, this looks to be a solid saw, and a good way for ToughBuilt to enter the hand saw market. I look forward to putting it to work with high expectations.
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MM
I love Japanese-style pull saws, it’s a very practical design so it’s always nice to see more options/competition on the market. This one’s folding design is nice, you can fold it up and toss it in your tool bag, box, truck, etc, without having to worry about the blade getting damaged or it harming your other tools. So long as the blade is well made this looks like a winner.
Joe H
I might be interested in this as long as replacement blades are available. I have a non folding shark saw of this size that I made a leather sheath for in my tool box but space is a premium so being able to halve the length is a consideration.
Stuart
Replacement blades are not available now, but I am under the impression that it has not been ruled out.
JD
Honestly at $25 is disposable. The ryoba blades I buy now cost more than that. Over $30 last time I checked.
Joe H
I can get shark replacement blades for roughly $14 for my current saw. I don’t like throwing whole tools away because I try to minimize waste thus I limit disposable tools.
MFC
This seems to be made for people like me that use these very sparingly and want it protected for the 6 months it’s in storage, bouncing in the back of my trailer. It will be a decade before I need to replace the blade, but a regular pull saw would get ruined otherwise. The folding mechanism probably doesn’t allow for an easy blade change due to the gears. So I would say this is great in the tool box for the occasional use, but if you want something to use on the daily, then a regular pull saw is best.
Greg
I really like how that handle becomes the blade guard. I’m a fan of a good pull saw, but it’s always been an awkward two piece affair for storage unless you kept it fully assembled. I’ll keep an eye out for this.
Greg
Hey Stuart,
Did Toughbuilt recently release a whole saw handtool line? Lowes website has 6 various handsaws listed (including the pull saw), but none of them are on the toughbuilt company website.
https://www.lowes.com/pl/Toughbuilt–Hand-saws-Hand-saws-blades-Hand-tools-Tools/4294857568?refinement=1344332491
There’s a particular other Toughbuilt saw that caught my eye, it’s a folding jab saw, but to me the interesting aspect is that it can also take most reciprocating saw blades.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/TOUGHBUILT-Folding-5-5-in-Utility-Ripping-Jab-Saw/5013223067
Stuart
Yes – they did!
I have a box of goodies in-hand for testing. So far I’m pretty wowed by what they accomplished – a lot of thought and effort went into everything. Not that I expected differently from ToughBuilt, but still.
Max
I picked one of these up online and this thing is excellent. For me, I have young kids around the workshop all the time as I exhibit my woodworking for a family-oriented art marketplace- and my #1 concern is never having anything sharp laying out unless it’s in use. Most of my saws and sharps have to go out of reach on a shelf and peg board that requires me to break out the step ladder. So exciting to have a finishing saw that folds away and locks closed.
James+C
Same here. I’ve had to get in the habit of keeping things out of reach (obviously), closing knives, etc. I love it that my son is interested in helping me in the shop. I think the risk of him getting seriously hurt is pretty low, but another big concern is even a minor injury might scare him away from tools for some time.
Jared
This looks awesome! I love folding tools, provided that feature doesn’t compromise utility. I’ve got a bunch of Fascap chisels and saws, and the Stanley version, that fold down like this too. Very handy to be able to store things compactly in a tool bag without ruining the edges, plus it’s just neat.
Will I be able to practice balisong tricks with this? 😄
Stuart
I checked just now – thankfully nobody was witness to this – and can say you cannot unless you heavily modify the gearing. I also wouldn’t recommend it, from a safety perspective.
Jared
Ha! Thanks for checking.
Ball_bearing
I need this, and a balisong machete for my collection. Nice stuff.
Jared
Are you talking about the new Gerber “DoubleDown” machete? That thing is pretty wild… It has a half-stop, presumably to keep it legal in more places.
mattd
do you have the balisong utility knife to go with it too? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnkzM8-U4Do
Ed
I have the version made by silky. Very handy
JD
I love this style saw and I really like that handle folds for transport. It looks like it has actual to teeth on one side which is a huge advantage in some applications. I’m not a fan of painted blades, but overall it looks great.
Jason
i also have the silky takeru saw that is very similar. easily my favorite saw for my bag since it has rip & crosscut on one long blade and folds up elegantly (without gears). i can even keep it in a tool belt. it’s a shame they discontinued it. i wish they would bring it back so i could get replacement blades again. unfortunately, i don’t think there’s any chance this saw could compare to silky’s.
Nathan
what’s the notch in the blade end for? hanging it? and is the coating to help it run smooth?
Looks good I’d consider one when I need a pull saw again.
Steven+B
I’m in the market for one of these for workshop woodworking…simple joinery flush cuts. I don’t need to transport it to a job site, so folding seems like an unnecessary feature
Is one model/brand generally considered the best all-purpose saw? I was about to buy https://www.amazon.com/RUITOOL-Japanese-Double-Flexible-Woodworking/dp/B09NW2R5HQ
I see Stanley, Irwin, and a few others making similar saws.
I’ve never used one before and just want something basic and effective….essentially the default choice. What would folks recommend for a first saw?
Jared
I’d probably get the inexpensive Irwin if it’s just to try one that’s pretty basic. Not that there’s anything bad looking about the one you linked to, but the Irwin is usually quite a bit cheaper.
If you want a more premium option, Vaughan and Shark have good options – I would also look at the offerings from Lee Valley.
MM
My advice for a first Japanese carpentry saw is Z-Saw. They are excellent quality and reasonably priced, replacement blades are available and inexpensive too. Another similar choice is Bakuma. Another option though slightly more costly is the Silky Woodboy and Hibiki series.
I would not buy the Ruitool, it gets the geometry of the saw wrong. Look at most Ryoba style saws and you will see that most are wider near the tip and the blade gets narrower as you get near the handle. This is by design. Look at the Ruitool saw, note that it gets narrower near the tip instead. This is backwards. Also, one of the main benefits of the Ryoba style saw is that it has cross-cutting teeth on one side and rip teeth on the other. That Ruitool saw has crosscut teeth on both sides, there’s no rip functionality.
Saw-er
Yes, and Z-Saw also makes a nice general-purpose folding carpentry saw: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B06X41PY3W/
It and its blades are also available for even less on Amazon Japan, although they shipped very slowly to me. The Z-Saw also seems to accept Tajima (and maybe other) hook blades, so the blades are readily replaced and many types of blades are available.
KokoTheTalkingApe
I’d second the Z-saw recommendation!
KokoTheTalkingApe
Oops, and I’ll just add, the blade shape (I think it’s rectangular, not tapering as MM says) is kind of typical for a FLUSH-CUTTING saw, which is a specialized saw for trimming dowels and such close to a flat surface.
Flush-cutting saws have no “set” on the teeth, meaning the teeth aren’t bent outwards to cut a channel slightly wider than the blade body (or else they have set only on one side.) The reason is to prevent the teeth from marring the flat surface. That makes them slightly more likely to bind in the cut. They also have flexible blades, to create clearance for your fingers. That makes them a little harder to control. This item description has a nice illustration of a zero-set blade.
https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/saws/japanese/111821-veritas-detail-flush-cutting-saw?item=05K3410
In short, flush-cutting saws are not a basic, default choice, though you do do say you’d do flush cuts (exclusively?) I’d say the most basic, useful type is a “ryoba,” which has ripping teeth on one side and crosscut teeth on the other.
If you do want a flush-cut saw specifically, I’d get a double-edged one so you can approach the dowel from either side, like this one.
https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/saws/japanese/32928-veritas-flush-cutting-saws?item=05K3601
KokoTheTalkingApe
I’m on my fourth Japanese saw. If you’ve never used one, there’s a slight learning curve. Take it easy, don’t bear down on the blade, and let the blade do the work. You don’t even have to grip the handle tightly. Use a small, square piece of plywood or something as a guide to keep the blade perpendicular to the workpiece.
When you’re shopping for one, look for replaceable blades. Japanese-style blades need special “feather” files to resharpen, so people often just replace dull blades, and that’s a little cheaper than buying a new saw.
Be careful with the saw edges. The teeth are long and a little fragile.
Good luck!
Donald
Oh man! I actually saw this on Kommander Karl’s page and I didn’t know what it was: https://youtu.be/j5cvZs-8pPg
You said there were stickers on it do you have pictures of that and did they effect the blade? I put painters tape on my one pull saw to keep from scratching, maybe I could just leave theirs on if it don’t interfere with the teeth?
Stuart
The stickers are really meant for keeping things together and protected on the shelf.
What I liked is that they pulled off cleanly, which either reflected deliberate attention to the adhesive used, or the coating applied to the blade.
Any added height to the blade will affect blade angle, and you might get worse scratching. I protect my workpiece surfaces differently on a case by case basis. With this saw, I don’t need to pay as much attention to all that, which is nice.
Ken
Looks like a nice saw. Aside from protecting the blade, the folding feature makes it easier to store. Where is it made? I currently use an Irwin which costs $27 at Lowes, and if my memory serves me correctly, it is made in Japan (or the blade is at least).
blocky
I also have the Silky version, a beautiful saw, which I find to be a little too flexy for its length– at least for my use which is almost never fine joinery. The folding aspect is really something I had wanted for my bag for jobsite use, but the Silky is not a rough and tumble saw, and the tpi is a little too fine for a general purpose saw.
TBH, out of a dozen pull saws, my most used, and one of the most durable, has been the harbor freight Pittsburgh saw. It’s definitely not as flexible as most japanese saws but the induction hardened teeth are very very hard, and it cuts true. It has cross cut teeth on both sides which helps it rip very effectively through plywoods in any direction, and I never worry about taking it to a jobsite or loaning it out.
This Toughbuilt seems to actually hit all the key features I was looking for between the two. The progressive tooth pattern on the ripping edge is probably really nice for starting cuts. In theory, if the coated blade is done well, it should reduce drag in the kerf. It looks like it would give a cut finished enough to paint without sanding and do so really fast. The frame and locking mechanism look materially more robust than the Silky. A lot of positives; I’ll have to get my hands on one.
Mark M.
Really smart, bag-friendly design and great price point as far as I’m concerned. Count me in.
KokoTheTalkingApe
Stuart, any word on whether the teeth are ground for crosscutting, ripping, or both?
I’m always happy to see new pull saws on the market, but I’m not sure about this one. I can see the need for two cutting edges if one is for crosscutting and the other for ripping (like a traditional ryoba). The two call for different tooth patterns.
But I don’t see much need for two crosscutting edges, even if one is for coarse and the other for fine. I have power saws for rough cuts.
And if it had just one edge, then the handle wouldn’t need to split like that. It could just fold over, like those (excellent) Silky saws.
But maybe both edges can rip as well as crosscut, and then the second edge makes more sense.
Stuart
Correction:
7-10 TPI Progressive is for rip-cutting
17 TPI is for crosscutting
MM
From the photos it looks like the 17tpi side is filed for crosscut while the other side with the “progressive” 7-10 tpi appears to be filed for rip. That makes sense as that is the standard configuration for a Ryoba. Basically this is a Ryoba with a non-traditional handle.
Stuart
That’s exactly it. Thanks – I’ll update the post.
John
Can you buy them in Britain
Stuart
Not yet that I know of; it’s only available at Lowe’s right now, and they don’t ship internationally.