This excellent value set of Gyokucho Compact Japanese Saws will cover the vast majority of your sawing needs for boxes, key cabinets, bookends and similar small pieces of furniture.
The Gyokucho 180 Series of small professional quality Japanese saws are made to the same exacting standards as their larger counterparts. Perfect for toolbox use giving you the same Gyokucho accuracy you enjoy in the workshop, for situations where you have to take the tools to the job. They are also excellent saws for younger woodworkers, being efficient, easy to control and very precise.
The 291 compact Ryoba is used for much the same work as a western tenon saw, ideal for tenons, saddle joints and lap joints. The 293 compact Atsuba Kataba is a small backless panel saw for dimensioning boards and sheet materials or cutting components to length, with a rounded tip of unset teeth allowing stopped or blind cuts to be started within a panel. The 297 compact Dozuki is a dedicated dovetail saw for fine accurate joinery, with a full length back supporting the blade right to the tip, happily cutting dovetails in hardwoods up to 12mm (½") thick or as thin as 3mm (⅛").
| Model | Type | Blade Thickness | Teeth Pitch | Details | Overall Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 291 | Ryoba | 0.5mm | Progressive rip teeth (one edge) 1.5mm/17tpi crosscut (other edge) |
Tenons, saddle joints, lap joints and similar work | 390mm |
| 293 | Atsuba Kataba | 0.5mm | 1.5mm/17tpi | Sizing boards and sheet materials | 400mm |
| 297 | Dozuki | 0.3mm | 1mm/26tpi | Fine dovetail joinery | 390mm |
This new version has blue handles made from TPE (thermoplastic elastomer), a remarkable material that is simultaneously hard and resilient yet feels velvety to the touch and affords a superb grip. TPE is an eco-friendly alternative to rubber and isn't harmful to the environment as it is completely recyclable.
With appropriate care the nickel plated blades last for a very long time. It is not uncommon for us to supply first replacement blades for Gyokucho saws between 7 and 15 years old.