Rip saw is a specialized tool. And, it does its job exceptionally well.
For the same reason, unless you’re a professional crafter it’s likely that you may not have heard of this device. It is specifically made to cut “along with the grain” of the cutting material’s surface.
However, if you use the wrong type of saw (e.g. a crosscut or fine cut saw) for this purpose, you’ll end up with a damaged material and an unsatisfying finish.
That’s why in this guide we describe all the necessary aspects you need to know to make an informed and right purchase.
Quick View
Top 4 Rip Saws Reviews
IRWIN Tools, Blue Universal Handsaw 1773465
If there’s any universal handsaw that you can confidently buy to make flawless rip cuts, this is the product for you.
Weighing only 12.8-ounce, the saw is made from high strength steel which offers protection against bending.
It incorporates a handle with raised top corners and rubber padding for better grip and control. The handle and blade are connected in an ergonomic angle which lets you saw for long sessions with less fatigue.
The 15-inch long saw utilizes Irwin’s patented “universal tooth grind” to achieve two goals at once: providing combined qualities of a coarse-cut and a fine-cut saw. Thus, it can saw in alignment with the grain with greater speed and a smoother finish. It also cuts like a chisel, which is a more appropriate approach for making rip cuts.
The saw teeth are made in a “triple-ground” style. This gives each tooth three surfaces to make a powerful and wholesome bite and increases the smoothness of the gullet. It also eliminates binding issues where both sides of the cutting material can press down on the blade.
The blade has 11 teeth per inch. This may seem like a lower TPI, but when you’re sawing along with the grain it becomes an advantage. Because a high TPI can produce a jagged finish.
The blade’s nose (aka pitch nose) is strategically squared to provide a less resistant sawing. The makers have layered the blade with aqua based lacquer to increase the smoothness of operation. It also features angle gaps on the blade’s surface.
Thus, it should come as no surprise that the saw rips 30-percent faster compared to other rip-cut saws in the market.
Highlighted Features:
- The “universal tooth grind” lets you make fast rip-cuts with a smooth finish.
- The blade holds angle gaps on its surface to multifunction as a measuring tool.
- “Triple ground sawteeth” and a squared pitch nose give balanced, deep cuts.
- The handle has an advanced angular attachment to the blade to lessen fatigue.
- The handle has raised top corners and padding for better grip and control.
HAUTMEC, Handsaw HT0024-SA
The HT0024-SA brings to you a handsaw that performs at its best in every aspect and it does so with style.
The saw weighs only 13.4-Ounces. The handle has a strategic triple screw attachment to the blade for operational safety and a singular part build to provide maximized structural integrity.
The manufacturer uses a combination of two elements (by injecting soft rubber into a hard plastic shell) to create an over-molded handle. The rubber portion functions as the grip and uses a micro-dotted pattern for superior grip strength.
The handle is set at the lower-down part of the blade, which makes it easy to execute quick rip cuts. The rear end of the handle is comprised of a straight and an angled line, which functions as a handy tool to mark 90 and 45-degree angles.
The 14-inch blade has 11 teeth per inch, which is considered as the standard TPI for making clean and effective rip cuts. It’s been thickened to reduce lateral vibration and layered with friction minimizing coating to move through materials smoothly. It’s protected by a hardened paper sleeve around the entire periphery and provides a nifty hanging hook at the rear end.
The blade uses tri-surface teeth, which removes materials like a chisel. This is a handy feature to have when you’re sawing along with the grain. The teeth are hardened through a “heat-induction” process and have an additional high-strength plastic coating for superior durability.
The product performs equally well on a variety of surfaces in terms of making rip cuts, such as fibreboard, plywood, plastic, natural as well as artificial wood, chipboard, etc.
Highlighted Features:
- The handle’s set at the lower part of the blade, making it easy to do rip cuts.
- To make rip sawing easier, the blade uses tri-surface teeth that cut like a chisel.
- The hardened teeth have an additional plastic coating for superior durability.
- The blade is thickened to reduce lateral vibration.
- Layered with friction minimizing coating, the blade works in smoother flow.
Spear & Jackson, Silver Rip Saw 9500R
The 9500R is a perfect example of how you can achieve ultimate functionality within a simple design.
The 1.32-Pound saw has a curved top edge (the one opposite the cutting edge). Through this tiny tweak in formation, it’s able to minimize friction between surfaces while enhancing the sense of balance.
The product’s equipped with a creamy-silver hardwood handle. It has a specially engineered shape that provides ease of movement and lessens muscle stress during prolonged sawing sessions. It connects to the blade using a triple golden metal screw attachment and rivets.
The handle has raised top corners and a firm yet comfortable middle gap. These features combine to provide you a next level grip and control over any rip cutting application.
The 22-inch long blade provides a significant reach to execute various sawing jobs with ease. It also helps to rip cut large surfaced materials. You can count on the blade’s sturdiness as it’s made from high-strength carbon steel (10 PTS grade).
The blade uses universal/cross ground teeth that are capable of making both cross and rip cuts. They are unique because they’ve been intentionally left unhardened.
Thus, you can use a filer to sharpen and style them for fitting your particular need. It also makes the saw incredibly long-lasting, as when the teeth get blunt you can simply re-sharpen them instead of buying a replacement.
Spear & Jackson has a two-century-old reputation of making hand saws and their expertise is evident in this product. The saw can cut both in alignment with and across the surface of various materials, such as plywood, oak, pine, hardwood, timber, etc.
Highlighted Features:
- It has a curved top edge to minimize friction and enhance a sense of balance.
- Handle connects to the blade using a triple screw attachment and rivets.
- The teeth are left unhardened so you can customize and re-sharpen them.
- The blade provides a significant reach with a length of 22-inches.
- Carbon steel blade can make both rip and crosscuts with ease.
Stanley, Silver SharpTooth Rip-saw 15-334
The 15-334 truly represents the SharpTooth logo: it really does cut as fast and sharp as a shark.
The lightweight saw, weighing at only 5.8-ounces, has a beautifully polished silver handle made from premium grade hardwood. It has a curved top edge and a wide middle gap that provides a fantastic grip for all size hands.
However, the absence of a padded grip may displease some users. Though in all other aspects it performs quite well, including a solid, anti-rust triple-screw handle-blade attachment.
It has a 15-inch long blade that provides a decent reach and surface coverage. It is designed with 9 teeth per inch. Surveying user reports, we know that it can saw through a (0.5 X 4)-inch surface in 4 seconds and a (2 X 4)-inch surface in 10 seconds. The blade has a flattened pitch nose to efficiently cut through materials and a hanging hook at the rear end for easy storage.
Stanley uses tri-surface/triple ground teeth for the blade. The teeth are manufactured to provide an attacking style cutting, which provides a 50-percent increase in sawing speed compared to regular rip saws.
They also apply “induction hardening” to increase the surface strength and sharpness of the teeth, increasing their durability 5x more than general sawteeth.
The saw is perfect for making rip cuts on difficult surfaces like hardwood, plastic, etc.
Highlighted Features:
- The attacking style cutting provides a 50-percent increase in sawing speed.
- “Induction hardening” makes the teeth superior in strength and sharpness.
- The saw is effective at making rip cuts on difficult surfaces.
- The handle uses a curved top with a wide middle gap to offer a strong grip.
- It can saw through a (0.5 X 4)-inch surface under only 4 seconds.
Rip Saw Buying Guide
Design Of The Handle
A properly designed handle can go a long way in helping you make swift, continuous rip cuts with ease. This can be achieved using a variety of construction techniques. Such as:
a) A Triple Screw “Handle-Blade Attachment”: This feature will provide safety and precision of control. Some manufacturers also use rivets to improve this feature.
b) “Handle-Blade Attachment Angle”: This feature offers certain aerodynamic advantages and ease of use. For example, placing the handle on the lower- down part of the blade improves sawing speed.
c) Ergonomic Shape: Shaping the handle in an ergonomic formation reduces muscle fatigue caused by long working sessions.
So, look for these details while making a purchase.
Padded Grip
Purchase a hand saw with a padded grip handle. This will provide you a strong and comfortable hold over the saw, improving the precision and control of your craft.
Also, ensure that the rubber portion has specifically engineered patterns to enhance hand-grip attachment.
Type Of Teeth
We recommend purchasing a handsaw that uses either coarse or universal ground teeth.
a) Coarse Teeth: They are considered as the best choice for rip cut saws. They remove materials like a chisel instead of a knife (a style incorporated by crosscut saws), which is important for successfully sawing along the grain.
b) Universal/Cross Ground Teeth: However, most modern handsaws use universal ground teeth (also recognized as triple-ground/tri-surface teeth). Thus, they can make both rip and cross cuts with ease and provide you multiple usages within a single tool.
Strength And Curvature Of The Blade
We recommend buying a sturdy blade. For example, a carbon steel blade with a 9 to 10 PTS grade strength will serve you well. Apart from increasing the saw’s overall longevity, this will also save you from some common issues. Such as:
a) Protection From Binding: Where the blade comes under extreme pressure from both surfaces of the cutting material. As a result, it can stop a sawing job dead in the middle and can harm both the texture of the sawing material and surface of the blade.
b) Protection From Bending: Not to be confused with “binding”, this issue can bend and deform your blade. This will make the saw unusable and force you to go for a replacement. However, “binding” is often a prime reason for blades getting bent.
c) Protection From Rust: High strength carbon steel blades will protect against damages caused by rust and corrosion.
In terms of curvature, you can look for special features like a curved top edge/skewed back. This will provide improved balance and control over the sawing operation, which is a must when you’re making expert cuts like a rip cut.
5. Minor Yet Important Details Of The Blade:
Look for these detailed features that can be much more helpful than you can guess. For example:
- A hanging hole at the rear end
- Friction and rust protective coating
- Thickened body for managing general impacts and lateral vibrations
- A squared or tapered pitch nose (endpoint of the cutting edge) for smooth movement through materials, etc.
TPI
Using a high TPI/fine-cut blade is not a unanimously winning factor.
For example, making cross cuts (sawing across the grain) requires a medium 12 to 15 TPI blade.
For detailed woodwork, professionals use fine-cut saws which can go up to 22 TPI. However, if you attempt to make a rip cut with one of those, they can produce a jagged finish.
So we recommend a TPI range between 9 to 11 for a proper rip cut saw.
Final Word
Purchasing a rip saw has an element of deception to it. The tool’s simple demeanor may cause you to think there’s not much to consider while buying one.
However, the truth is that several critical factors must be considered if you want to get a rip saw that genuinely works. And that’s exactly what this guide was designed to show you.
We hope, by this point, our goal has been fulfilled and thus you can make an informed decision.
I started this blog to provide an advanced guide and information to the people to choose the best product. Writing over every part of the tools. I try to cover every type of tool to review and information.