Universal Kataba saws cut rapidly in any grain direction, they do not produce as smooth a surface as saws with dedicated rip or crosscut teeth, but for quickly and accurately cutting stock and sheet material to size they are superb.
Hishika handmade Japanese saws are always exquisite examples of their type and the Proonly range of universal katabas are no exception – effortlessly fast, accurate and cleaner cutting than any other universal kataba I have ever used. Their secret lies in the tooth configuration, the teeth are in packs of eight with an unset raker tooth and an extra-large gullet between them to clear the waste efficiently and keep the teeth engaged in fresh material. The plates are tapered to eliminate friction and minimise the amount of set needed for the teeth to cut.
The sawplates of Hishika handcrafted saws are fully hardened and therefore only recommended for those who already have some experience with using Japanese saws. The blades will flex but not to the same extent as a replaceable blade saw, and rather than kinking when mis-used they will shatter (wear safety glasses). Better therefore to learn on a saw that has cheaper replaceable blades and progress to a handmade one when you feel ready.
Damaged saw blades are not covered under warranty, please wear safety glasses.
Blade Length | 210mm | 240mm | 315mm |
Usable blade length (mm) |
207 | 240 | 300 |
Blade thickness (mm) centre toothline tang |
0.41 0.56 0.96 |
0.68 1.33 0.99 |
0.65 - - |
Overall length (mm) |
530 | 585 | 690 |
Pitch crosscut (tpi) |
20 | 16 | 8.5 |
Pitch rip | progressive | progressive | progressive |
Max depth | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ |
Note: These handmade saws are not for beginners and are more suited to the experienced user. Our lifetime warranty does not apply to broken/damaged saw blades.