How to use a ryoba saw
Updated: 22 October 2026
You have just unwrapped a double-edge pull saw, and the first instinct from a western panel saw is to push. On a ryoba that push is how a thin plate kinks. This page is how to use a ryoba saw: which edge faces the wood, where the cut starts, and how hard you press. It does not rank models. The saws in our [ryoba saw comparison](/hub/power-saws/ryoba-saw) were read on 19 October 2026, and the thicknesses below come from those listings. Peter F. compared the listings. There was no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You have just unwrapped a double-edge pull saw, and the first instinct from a western panel saw is to push. On a ryoba that push is how a thin plate kinks.
You have just unwrapped a double-edge pull saw, and the first instinct from a western panel saw is to push. On a ryoba that push is how a thin plate kinks. This page is how to use a ryoba saw: which edge faces the wood, where the cut starts, and how hard you press. It does not rank models. The saws in our ryoba saw comparison were read on 19 October 2026, and the thicknesses below come from those listings. Peter F. compared the listings. There was no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Plate | Rip edge | Crosscut edge | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  KLRStec KLRStec 240 mm ryoba | Not stated | 9 TPI | Fine, no TPI | 8.6 | about £24.99 | View offer |
 SUIZAN SUIZAN SR-001 ryoba, 240 mm | 0.5 mm | 9 TPI | 15 TPI | 9.3 | about £39.80 | View offer | |
| Best value |  JORGENSEN JORGENSEN 250 mm ryoba | 0.5 mm | 7–12 TPI | 18 TPI | 8.7 | about £18.99 | View offer |
On this page
It cuts when you pull
A ryoba is tensioned on the return stroke. You pull the teeth through the wood, and the plate stays straight because it is being stretched, not shoved. SUIZAN’s SR-001 plate is 0.5 mm. JORGENSEN’s plate is 0.5 mm. WORKPRO’s plate is 0.6 mm. Pressure on the push stroke, even a light one, is how that plate folds. A kink you make that way is not automatically a fault on delivery under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Give yourself the first cuts on a scrap, not on the finished shoulder. Lock the blade first. SUIZAN’s manual says to lock the blade, and it says the saw is for woodworking only. One WORKPRO review returned the saw because the blade would not stay in the handle. One JORGENSEN review described a unit that arrived missing the attachment bolt. If the plate shifts, stop.
Rip edge and crosscut edge
The coarse edge rips along the grain. The fine edge crosscuts across it. If you rip on the crosscut edge, the fine teeth clog. If you crosscut on the rip edge, the shoulder looks ragged. On a SUIZAN the rip edge is above the logo and the crosscut edge is below it. That rule is not for JORGENSEN, WORKPRO or KLRStec. Look at the teeth. SUIZAN prints 9 TPI against 15 TPI, JORGENSEN 7–12 against 18, and WORKPRO 7–10 against 18. KLRStec states 9 TPI on the rip edge and only calls the other edge fine. A mitre is still a crosscut, and plywood tears on the rip teeth. The joint is on ryoba saw for tenons.
Heel, light strokes, then the full blade
Start at the heel, the end of the teeth nearest the handle, on the corner of the line. A short pull, with almost no pressure, cuts a groove you can see. Lift the handle slightly so the heel teeth touch first, keep the groove on the waste side of the line, and only then lengthen the stroke. Use as much of the edge as the board allows. Keep the grip light. A clenched fist pushes the plate off the line, and a correcting shove is the kink again. If the saw stalls, you are on the wrong edge or the start was crooked. Back out and restart the groove. Support the offcut. A falling piece closes the kerf and bends the plate. At the end of the cut, shorten the stroke so the plate does not jump out and mark the face. SUIZAN’s manual says wear eye protection and gloves, and keep the saw from small children.
What this page leaves alone
Choosing between a Japan origin field and a China origin field is a buying decision, not a stroke. Those checks are on the ryoba saw buying guide. If the cut is beside wiring, off a ladder, or in structural timber, stop and use someone whose job that is. Report an unsafe product through Citizens Advice in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland, or the Northern Ireland council. That route is for a dangerous product, not for a saw you bent by pushing.
Common questions
Does a ryoba cut on the push or the pull?
It cuts on the pull. The plate is tensioned as you draw it towards you, which is what keeps a 0.5 mm blade straight. Pushing, including a firm start shove, is how that plate kinks. UK Workshop notes say to start at the heel rather than to push. A kink from that habit is not automatically a delivery fault. The first cuts feel odd if you are used to a western saw, and the kerf is then thin.
Which edge rips, and which edge crosscuts?
The coarser edge rips along the grain. The finer edge crosscuts across the grain. Where this set prints numbers, SUIZAN is 9 TPI and 15 TPI, JORGENSEN is 7–12 TPI and 18 TPI, and WORKPRO is 7–10 TPI and 18 TPI. On a SUIZAN ryoba the maker says the rip edge sits above the logo and the crosscut edge below it. That logo rule is not a guide for every brand in the comparison. Look at the teeth if the card does not mark them.
Where do you start the cut?
Start at the heel, on the corner, with a short light pull that leaves a visible groove on the waste side of the line. Then lengthen the stroke and use the full edge. Do not begin with a push, even a gentle one. If the groove is off the line, lift out and start again. Forcing the plate back onto the line is the usual way to bend a 0.5 mm or 0.6 mm saw.
What happens if you push a 0.5 mm plate?
It kinks. SUIZAN’s SR-001 and the JORGENSEN both state a 0.5 mm plate. WORKPRO states 0.6 mm. A folded plate will not track, and straightening it in a vice usually wrecks the set of the teeth. Some listings say the blade can be replaced. One JORGENSEN review could not find a spare at a sensible UK price, so a replaceable blade on the bullet is not a spare in your hand. Lock the blade first, as SUIZAN’s manual says.
Which edge for a mitre or for plywood?
Use the crosscut edge. A mitre still severs fibres across the face grain, and SUIZAN’s own note puts mitres on the crosscut side. Plywood and veneer tear if you use the coarse rip teeth on the face. Support the offcut so the last fibres do not split. The rip edge is for cuts that run with the grain, such as a tenon cheek, not for a picture-frame mitre.
Related pages
Sources
Public sources named in the research digest, plus the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Retrieved 19 October 2026.
- SUIZAN SR-001 ryoba, maker page (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- SUIZAN hand-saw manual, SR-001 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- General Product Safety Regulations 2005, Great Britain guidance (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: consumer product safety advice for staying safe (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Woodsmith: selecting and using Japanese saws (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- UK Workshop: Japanese ryoba saws (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk listings for this set, 19 October 2026 (retrieved 19 October 2026)