Melbourne, Victoria

Handsaws made to fit

Custom-fit backsaws made in small batches using responsibly sourced timbers, and two-day workshops where you build your own.

See the saws Book a workshop

Hi, I'm Kaz

Tools that fit the hand holding them

I'm a saw-maker helping woodworkers get more control, accuracy and joy from their hand tools.

I struggled to find tools that fit just right, so I know what a difference it makes when one does. Generic handles are made for larger hands. Mine come in small, medium, large and custom.

More about what I do

Items for sale

A limited first batch

The spines on these saws were made at HNT Gordon. They mark the origins of Kaz Saw.

See all the saws

Special Edition Dovetail Saw, Small, Rock Maple

Dovetail

Rock Maple

Small (85mm)

Most factory saws are made for big hands, which is one of the reasons I started making my own. The pale handle, the same timber as butcher blocks and workbench tops, mellows to a honey tone with use.

Available

$500

Special Edition Carcass Saw, Medium, PNG Rosewood

Carcass

PNG Rosewood

Medium (90mm)

Teeth filed to slice across the grain, so shoulders come off clean and need little tidying up. At 469 grams it has a lively feel on longer cuts.

Available

$500

Special Edition Dovetail Saw, Medium, PNG Rosewood

Dovetail

PNG Rosewood

Medium (90mm)

At 371 grams it's light in the hand, so it's easy to start and steer on delicate joints. The handle has a warm gold to red-brown colour that deepens a little over the years.

Available

$500

The making

Seven steps, one saw at a time

Select the timber

Marked out with consideration of grain direction. No two pieces are the same, so no two saws are.

Cut and shape the handle

Bandsaw, router, rasps and files.

Slot and drill

The blade slot and the holes for the split nuts.

Prepare the plate

Guillotine and Foley retoother: shape, file, set and sharpen the teeth.

Fit the brass back

Cut, shape and peen the brass spine that keeps the blade dead straight.

Assemble and finish

Handle, blade and spine joined with handmade split nuts, then the handle is oiled.

Test cuts and fine tuning

Cuts in scrap timber to check it starts easily and runs straight, with small adjustments until it does.

First learn how to make a thing, then learn how to make a thing beautiful.

E. N. Curtis

Workshops

Build your own saw in two days

Four people, two days, and a sharp working saw to take home. Held at the Phoebe Everill Furniture Making School in Drummond, an hour north west of Melbourne. My students have ranged from beginners to seasoned instructors, aged 18 to 80, and most of them have been women.

See upcoming dates

Maker's Journal

Latest from my journal

I write about how backsaws work and how to look after them, and share what's happening in my workshop.

Read the journal

Events

Kaz standing behind the shared Phoebe Everill School for Wood stall at Timbecon, with backsaws on display stands and the Australian Quality Tools banner behind her

A day at Timbecon’s Tools, Timber & Techniques

A shared stall with the Phoebe Everill Furniture Making School at Timbecon’s Tools, Timber & Techniques in Epping, with Terry Gordon next door and plenty of good conversations about saws.

11 Oct 26

Announcements

Red and white Metex MP25L benchtop milling machine on a timber-topped stand with two drawers, against a timber wall

The milling machine has arrived

I picked up my milling machine on the 28th of September and it’s now set up in my new barn workshop at Porcupine Ridge. Here I share what it is, and what I’ll be making with it.

29 Sep 26

Handle Fit

Two backsaws with figured timber handles lying on a stack of oak boards

Hang angle: why my dovetail and carcass saws sit differently

My dovetail saws hang at 41 degrees and my carcass saws at 23. What hang angle is, how to see it, what it does to your stroke and how to tell if a saw suits the way you work.

27 Sep 26