Dieter Schmid - Fine Tools
	Georg-Wilhelm-Str. 7 A - 10711 Berlin - Germany Tel ++49 (0)30 342 1757 - Fax ++49 (0)30 342 1764 Website: www.fine-tools.com

Dieter Schmid - Fine Tools Georg-Wilhelm-Str. 7 A - 10711 Berlin Tel ++49 30 342 1757 - Fax ++49 30 342 1764 Website: www.fine-tools.com

Overview Japanese Saws

Reduced Friction Saws with Nickel-Plated Blades from Nokogiri Kobo

Nokogiri Kobo is a small, long-established saw manufacturer in Kashiwazaki, Niigata Province. They make traditional saws with blades of hardened steel. The "Hikoza" line of saws we offer here feature blades of nickel-plated carbon steel. The plating not only protects them against corrosion, but also reduces friction when sawing, allowing the blade to glide through the wood, while the underlying carbon steel provides as sharp and as durable an edge as the traditional, unplated, saw blades. The Hikoza blades are hand forged. The saws can in principle be sharpened, but the manufacturer also offers replacement blades, because sharpening these types of saws is a craft in and of itself, and it is hard or impossible to find someone competent outside of Japan. So with these prices, it is less expensive to buy a new blade than to pay both for sharpening and shipment to and from Japan. Click on the pictures to see an enlarged photo of the various saws. The saws made by Nokogiri Kobo are not recommended for amateurs.   Why?

How to change blades on these saws A look into Nokogiri Kobo's saw smithy

Dozuki-Ryoba Why this hybrid name? Nokogiri Kobo has developed a saw specifically for very fine work on temples and shrines. It cuts as cleanly and accurately as a traditional dozuki, while at the same time allowing deep ryoba-style cuts because there is no back. The saw has an extremely thin blade, and amazingly fine teeth on the edge for rip sawing. This saw is very delicate, and should only be used by those very experienced with this type of saw, and only on relatively soft woods. Blade length: 220 mm Blade thickness near the teeth: 0.3 mm Blade thickness center of blade: 0.25 mm Tang thickness: 1 mm Kerf: 0.4 mm Pitch, cross cut teeth: 0.9 mm Pitch, rip cut teeth: 1.4 mm Order nr. 310808 Price € 75.00 Repl. blade for Dozuki-Ryoba Order nr. 310809 Price € 59.00

Katagi (Kataba) A one-edged saw with unusually fine teeth designed for rip sawing. Blade length: 220 mm Blade thickness: 0.4 mm Tang thickness: 1.1 mm Kerf: 0.7 mm Pitch: 1.4 mm Order nr. 310810 Price € 62.00 Repl. blade for Katagi (Kataba) Order nr. 310811 Price € 42.00

Azehiki (Azebiki) A saw designed to make blind cuts into the surface of the wood with teeth for rip and cross cutting. Blade length: 90 mm Blade thickness: 0.3 mm Tang thickness: 1.3 mm Kerf: 0.6 mm Pitch, cross cut teeth: 1.4 mm Pitch, rip cut teeth: 2.5 mm Order nr. 310812 Price € 42.00 Repl. blade for Azehiki (Azebiki) Order nr. 310813 Price € 24.00

Dabohiki (Kugihiki) The teeth on this saw are not set in order to allow one to flush-cut dowels and pegs without damaging the surface of the wood. Blade length: 180 mm Blade thickness: 0.4 mm Tang thickness: 1 mm Pitch: 1 mm Order nr. 310814 Price € 42.00 Repl. blade for Azehiki (Azebiki) Order nr. 310815 Price € 24.00

Ryoba A fine hand saw with teeth for rip and cross cutting. The rip cut teeth, in contrast to the other two saws described above, are cut to the normal Japanese standard for this work and so are much more robust. Blade length: 180 mm Blade thickness near the teeth: 0,3 mm Blade thickness center of blade: 0,25 mm Tang thickness: 0.9 mm Kerf: 0.4 mm Pitch, cross cut teeth: 0.9 mm Pitch, rip cut teeth: 1.9 mm Order nr. 310816 Price € 65.00 Repl. blade for Ryoba Order nr. 310816 Price € 46.00

All Five Hikoza Saws as a Set These five saws can be purchased together in an attractive blue canvas sailcloth saw roll. You save Euros 24.00. Order nr. 310820 Price € 279.00 If you would like to buy one or a few of the saws, and later want to get the saw roll, you can also buy it separately here: Saw roll in blue canvas sailcloth Order nr. 310818 Price € 17.00