Glen Drake Double Handled hand saw

Here's an interesting innovation:

~ Link to Popular Woodworking blog ~

A dovetailing saw with dual handles... I'm sure it's quite well thought out, very well designed, worthy of debate, and it's certainly interesting - the method he's attached the back to the blade particularly intrigues me. I can see where it might benefit some, and I think it really has to be an individual choice - I doubt the two-handle thing is for me.

Personally, I'm a creature of habit - I like to have my left hand on the stock, both to steady the stock and my blade. It also gives me a more intimate feel (through the blade of the saw and the stock itself) for how the cut is going (if I should let up, change the attack angle slightly, etc.) in the particular board I'm cutting, as well as my being able to use my finger for the initial start of the cut and help to steady my own stance.

One thing I strive for when I make saws is to get the handle at the best angle and related to the work, and to have the handle as close to the work as is reasonably possible. The double handle distances the hand from the stock a bit more and changes that relationship signifcantly... While that may enable you to add more pressure, it's the saw that does most of the cut anyway... If your blade is dull and requires more pressure, the answer is to sharpen it. The next thing to remember is that it's just a saw, and try not to over-think it too much.

The untoothed ends and progressive teeth area not new ideas, either - I do remember seeing a patent or catalog drawing somewhere with the same idea somewhere from somewhere near 100 years ago (there's not much that hasn't been thought of when it comes to hand saws)... The difficulty a person has in starting a cut can be just as easily mitigated with the proper selection of saw tooth configuration and other techniques, in my opinion. In other words, don't use an 11 TPI rip saw for dovetails or a 16 tpi dovetail saw for ripping tenons; and start the saw with a pull using a shallow angle, and the like.

Leif