Japanese pull saw or Western handsaw: what one comparison measured
Pull versus push, from TechGearLab and two joinery-saw write-ups. I have not sawn with them. The photo is a kugihiki, not a ryoba.
Researched in August and September 2026. Reviewed . Next review: March 2027. 3 sources
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Research guide: I have not tested these products. Affiliate disclosure As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
How I built this guide
Sources I read. TechGearLab’s handsaw test, Fine Woodworking on dovetail saws, Derek Cohen. Reddit only as search fragments.
What I cross-checked. Which praise is a lab and which is an owner saying teeth broke.
What I could not verify. Shark and Veritas listings. I did not find them.
Most sources suggest this if you are starting from nothing and can buy replacement blades; skip it if your hands already push a Western saw, or you cannot reorder the blade.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Gyokucho ryoba
Budget to mid. More than one source agrees.
TechGearLab liked the fine cut. Two owners, in fragments I could not open on Reddit, report long blade life. A 300 mm ryoba on Amazon.es was open on 28 Oct 2026. The photo on this page is a kugihiki, not a ryoba.
Slower on through cuts, in that test.
Opens Amazon. Price and stock change. I have not used this. Affiliate link: if you buy, I may earn a commission. You do not pay more.
Suizan ryoba
Budget to mid. The sources disagree. Read the notes in the guide.
TechGearLab praised the accuracy and did not report broken teeth. Two owner reports say teeth chip. A Mexico listing was open on 28 Oct 2026.
Fragile teeth, if you believe the owners and not the lab.
Opens Amazon. Price and stock change. I have not used this. Affiliate link: if you buy, I may earn a commission. You do not pay more.
Shark Super FineCut
Budget. One source, no second opinion.
TechGearLab called it the finest cut in their set.
The blade bent and the handle felt cheap. One test. I did not find a listing.
Opens Amazon. Price and stock change. I have not used this. Affiliate link: if you buy, I may earn a commission. You do not pay more.
IRWIN ProTouch 15 in
Budget. One source, no second opinion.
TechGearLab’s best overall push saw in that comparison.
It splinters more than the pull saws. One test.
Opens Amazon. Price and stock change. I have not used this. Affiliate link: if you buy, I may earn a commission. You do not pay more.
Veritas dovetail saw
Mid. More than one source agrees.
Fine Woodworking and Derek Cohen both call it a sane first joinery saw. Not the top saw in the Fine Woodworking group.
Narrow handle, and a little binding that wax fixed for Cohen.
Opens Amazon. Price and stock change. I have not used this. Affiliate link: if you buy, I may earn a commission. You do not pay more.
A saw is a stroke and a plan for dull teeth. Japanese saws in the usual pattern cut on the pull. Western handsaws cut on the push. I have not used either. The photo is a kugihiki. It is not the ryoba this note is about.
What the experts say
Medium on Gyokucho. Low on Suizan, because the lab and the owners do not match.
TechGearLab compared push saws and pull saws. Every Japanese saw in that test had a replaceable blade. They liked the Gyokucho Razor ryoba for fine work and called it slower on through cuts.1 Their best overall push saw was an IRWIN ProTouch. One test.
For joinery, Fine Woodworking called the Veritas dovetail saw the bang-for-buck, not the most expensive winner.2 Derek Cohen called the 14 tpi version a dream for a novice and fixed a little binding with wax.3
What owners report
Two search fragments, which I could not open as threads, say a Suizan lost teeth. An Amazon review from 2019 says the crosscut teeth chip. TechGearLab praised that saw’s accuracy and did not mention broken teeth.
Where they disagree
Suizan is the disagreement. The lab likes the cut. Owners report chips. Gyokucho does not have that split in what I could read. Shark’s fine cut and bent blade are one test, and I did not find a listing.
My take
Starting from nothing, and able to buy another blade: a Gyokucho ryoba is the pull saw the sources agree on. Already pushing a Western saw: stay. Retraining a stroke to save money is how a thin plate gets kinked, according to every teaching note I trust, not according to a board I cut. A dozuki is a backed joinery saw. It is a second saw, not the only one.
The chisel note is here.
Where this comes from
- TechGearLab. Best handsaw. Comparative test. TechGearLab Consulted 28 Oct 2026. Their page says updated 21 Jul 2023. back
- Fine Woodworking. Dovetail saws. Comparative test. Fine Woodworking Consulted 28 Oct 2026. back
- Derek Cohen. Veritas dovetail saw. Review. Derek Cohen Consulted 28 Oct 2026. back
Changes in this guide
- Caption corrected: the photo is not a ryoba.
Common questions
Is the saw in the photo a ryoba?
No. It is a kugihiki. A ryoba has two edges and no back.
Do pull saws cut on the pull?
In the usual pattern, yes. TechGearLab’s Japanese saws had replaceable blades.