Different Types of Japanese Saws

Japanese saws first became widely available in the West in the 1970s and 1980s, and were quickly adopted by many Western woodworkers because of their quick cutting speed and the fineness of their kerf.

Overview of Common Japanese Saws

All Japanese saws cut on the pull stroke. The types of saws vary in the presence of a back, the number of teeth and their functions. Here is a summary of their characteristics to help you choose the right saw for the task.

Type	Feature	Common # of Teeth	Use
Kataba	Backless	8-12 tpi on a rip edge; rip teeth are often graduated. 15-20 tpi on a crosscut.	Dimensioning stock. Select a tooth style based on direction of cut.
Ryoba	Teeth on both sides	9-14 tpi on the rip edge; rip teeth are often graduated. 15-20 tpi on the crosscut.	Dimensioning stock or cutting large joinery. Select which edge to used based on the direction of cut.
Dozuki	Rigid back	18-25 tpi	Fine precision cuts either across or with the grain.

The images above show traditional Japanese-style ripping teeth on the left and crosscutting teeth on the right. There are, of course, other variations, such as a ripping tooth with a tiny bevel at the tip, or an “Ikeda” style crosscut tooth, with a more pronounced tip bevel. The former is found on our rip-pattern dozukis, while the latter is seen on some crosscut versions.

Once you’ve selected a saw suited to the task, it’s time to move on to the actual cutting, which is the topic of our next tutorial.