A lot of research has gone into the specific design of Gramercy’s new dovetail saw, the result is probably the best dovetail saw produced today. In their own words:
The saw has a 9" blade which is canted for ease of use, with a usable cutting depth of only 1.3" near the handle, and 1.2" at the toe. The handle is made from American Black Walnut, a solid, light, stable wood which is locally sourced by Gramercy and sustainable. The handle is small and light for a three finger grip and is also cranked up, so that you can work with a natural swing to your stroke, near to the work so that you can see what you are doing (no more crouching and squinting).
The 19ppi blade is made of .018" (slightly over 2mm) thick 1095, a hard carbon tool steel of about 50-52rc. The thinner stock means a lighter saw and a narrower kerf - less material to remove means it's easier to use. The teeth are hammer set and hand-filed to enable use of an aggressive cut. The rake angle is zero. It is hand filed which gives a very smooth action, and makes it easy to start.
Comes boxed and includes instructions for sawing. Made in USA.
Gramercy
Carcase Saw
The Gramercy Tools 12" carcase saw has been designed
around traditional 18th century principles. It is available in
a rip (12ppi) or crosscut (14ppi) version and is hand filed and
hammer set.
Made from 0.020" 1095 steel, hardened to 48-52 degrees rockwell,
which is slightly harder than most modern 'Swedish saw' steels,
but closer to the carbon steels used in earlier saws, giving
a traditional hardness and spring.
The saw slightly canted, giving a slightly shallower cut
at the toe, which makes it easier to use. The depth of cut at
toe is 2 1/8".
The
American black walnut handle has a lower hang than the dovetail
saw, and a lower centre of gravity relative to the folded brass
back, helping you to feel when your cuts are vertical and straight
and generally contribute to the saw's responsiveness and control.
Shipped sharp and ready to use, with instructions. Made in USA.
Gramercy 14" Sash Saw
From the late 18th until the mid 19th century the two most common
backsaws found in a joiner’s toolbag would be a dovetail
saw and a sash saw. The dovetail saw would be filed with fleam
so that it could be used for all small work, not just dovetailing,
and the sash saw would be used for everything else. In the modern
shop with both power and hand tools saw we prefer a dedicated
dovetail saw because a pure rip saw does an easier job at dovetailing,
and for most larger work a pair of carcase saws works great.
However for larger tenons the carcase saws are just not deep
enough, and for the occasional back saw user a pair of carcase
saws (rip and crosscut) reflect a fair investment. We are pleased
to offer a 14" sash saw with a traditional combination filing
for both ripping or crosscutting. This saw will be perfect for
just about anything sawing you need to do in the shop except
where you need a panel saw to cut long boards where a backed
saw would get in the way.
The Gramercy Tools Sash saw is probably the lightest big backsaw on the current market. We made it light so that it is easier to use and the lightness means it is easier to sense the position of the blade. It’s a closed handled saw so that it can take more force than the open handles used on smaller saws. We are also very pleased at the elegance of the handle, with its subtle detailing and carefully done lamb’s tongue. On our saw the lamb’s tongue doesn’t touch the blade, it just licks it lightly, in a graceful motion, and isn’t painfully cut by the blade. For all that our handles are machine made we think we have sculpted in more elegance than seen on a lot of hand made handles. The blade is canted for maximum utility. There is a traditional acid etch logo on the side of the blade. Like all the saws in the Gramercy Tools line this saw is hammer set and hand filed which gives it a far smoother cutting action (after it breaks in with a little use).
Length of blade 14", 13ppi, depth of cut at the toe 2.87" depth of cut at the heel 3.29". 5 degree’s negative rake and 7 degrees fleam. Plate thickness: .020". Closed handle made of American Black Walnut. Hand finished, folded brass back. Saw teeth are hand filed and hammer set. Made in USA.