fret saws

[raybomando]

just recieved a new stew-mac fret saw. cuts on the pull stroke. P.O.J nowhere near the quality of the waverly they use to sell, think i'll send it back. does anyone have any info on the one from l.m.i. thanks

[Dolamon]

I bought five old fret saws in great shape - at least two of them dating back to the 1870's - at a swap meet. Most people sellng these old tools have little to no idea what they're worth or even what they're used for. I payed less for all five than what Stew Mac charges for shipping a set of strings.

I only use Stew - Mac as a last resort or just to look at the pictures.

It pays to keep your eyes open and visit the out of the way sales -

[Luthier]

Lowes sells a saw made by Stanley. It has a black plastic handle, teeth on both sides but it is flexible so you just need to use it with care. It has a .023 kerf and is great and sells for about $8.

Don

[Chris Baird]

I have a Dozuki that LMI sells for fret slotting. It is a little too flexible to work well in the Stewmac miter box. But, it works great for other things, a very agressive yet clean cutting saw.