PNG Rosewood comes from Papua New Guinea and is a pleasure to work. It cuts cleanly, sands to a soft sheen and settles into a warm gold to red-brown that deepens a little over the years. It’s lighter than the Australian hardwoods I usually reach for, so this saw comes in at 371 grams. Some people prefer that for delicate joinery, where a light saw is easier to start and steer.
It’s a dovetail saw, which means a rip cut filing for sawing along the grain: 16 points per inch with an 8 degree rake. The 250mm blade is 0.5mm spring steel (SAE 1080, hardened to 44 to 47 HRC) and cuts to 50mm deep, which covers dovetails, small tenons and most fine joinery on furniture-scale work. The solid brass spine holds the blade straight and adds just enough weight that you’re guiding the saw rather than pushing it. The handle is shaped for a medium hand, a palm around 90mm across, and hangs at 41 degrees so your wrist stays relaxed on a short, upright stroke.
This saw is one of my first small batch, and the brass spine on every saw in it was made at HNT Gordon in northern New South Wales. I spent time there learning tool making with Terry Gordon, and the hand-made split nuts on this saw use techniques I picked up in his workshop. These are the saws that mark the beginning of Kaz Saw. I won’t be making this batch again.
It’s sharpened and ready to go. Email me and I’ll post it anywhere in Australia by registered mail. A little camellia oil on the blade and handle every so often is all the care it needs.
