Tool in Focus: The Saw

From fret saw to keyhole, chainsaw to pole saw, there are more saws in the world than there are stars in the sky. Or nearly. Let’s have a closer look. 

Saws are tools that hero a tough blade with a toothed edge. Most are designed to cut timber but some are suited to metal or stone. Basic saws are powered by elbow grease, but of course there is a host of power saws to choose from for larger jobs. 

An electrician working in construction is likely to make good use of a circular saw and a jig saw for precision cutting. And a band saw is invaluable for cutting metal conduit and strut.

History of the saw 

From reciprocating to mitre, jig to circular, a good saw comes in handy now and again. Not surprisingly, they date back a few years – paintings depict the early Egyptians using saws made from copper with no handle. Chinese legend attributes the invention of the saw to structural engineer Lu Ban after he cut his hand on a leaf with a spiny texture, while according to Greek mythology Talos created the saw blade after seeing the spine of a fish. Nevertheless, it was the good old Romans – apparently – came up with the idea of adding a wooden handle. Smart. 

While saws were around in the early days, they really took off in the 1600s after the advent of rolled steel – and over the following couple of centuries the saw became a household staple, however it was pretty much limited to cutting wood.  

Since then, technology and innovation has spawned all manner of saws – hundreds of them. We’re all familiar with some of the more obvious ones, but saws are used for loads of different things. A back saw is designed for making dovetail joints that require precision and accuracy, while a sternal saw is used for cutting through a patient’s sternum during surgery. And a felloe saw was once used to cut out the felloes of wooden cartwheels.

Let’s look at some other popular saws.

Musical saws 

Not only are they mighty fine tools, saws can also be, erm, interesting musical instruments. Popular in Russian and rural American folk music, a musical saw is a handsaw that’s played while seated, with the handle between the legs and the far end held with one hand. To create music, simply bend the blade into an S curve and use a bow across the back edge of the saw. In 2009, the Guinness World Record for the largest musical saw ensemble was set at the annual New York City Saw Festival, in which 53 musical saw players performed together. 

Saw movies

A ‘splatter film’ franchise (that’s a horror subgenre that focuses on particularly graphic violence), the Saw series of movies now numbers nine after the release of Spiral earlier this year – and it’s Aussies we have to thank. Or blame. You decide. James Wan and Leigh Whannell are the masterminds behind the franchise that’s grossed over US$1bn since the release of the original Saw movie in 2004. It’s one of the highest grossing horror film franchises of all time.

The Saw Doctors  

This Irish rock band has cult followings in Ireland, the UK, the US and here in Australia, and are one of the best live bands around. In 1993, the band’s keyboard and accordion player, Tony Lambert (since deceased), won the lottery – scooping the equivalent of around $1.5m. He was living in a converted bus at the time, and promptly quit the band to move to Galway, restore an old house and build his own recording studio. The Saw Doctors toured Australia in 2010 on a 10-date national tour – their full gig at Sydney’s Metro Theatre is on YouTube and is well worth watching with a beer in hand.