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Japanese pull saw or handsaw

Updated: 16 October 2026

A thin pull saw and a long western handsaw are different tools, and it is tempting to keep only one. Japanese pull saw or handsaw is which stroke matches the cut: a short or flush cut on the pull, or a thick section on a push plate that can take a twist. The pull saw is easier until you kink it. Prices sit on the [wood saw comparison](/hub/power-saws/wood-saw). The Products Compared editorial team read those amazon.co.uk listings on 16 October 2026 and did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

A thin pull saw and a long western handsaw are different tools, and it is tempting to keep only one.

Our top picks

Spear & Jackson Spear & Jackson Predator B9822

Best overall

Spear & Jackson Spear & Jackson Predator B9822
8.5/10about £10.79
View offer
Magicbox Magicbox 4-piece pull saws

Alternative

Magicbox Magicbox 4-piece pull saws
8.5/10about £17.99
View offer
SURFOU SURFOU pull saw

Alternative

SURFOU SURFOU pull saw
8.4/10about £7.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Pull and push are different tools
  2. 2.What you gain with the thin kerf
  3. 3.What stays a push saw
  4. 4.A saw that only cuts one way

Pull and push are different tools

A pull saw cuts as you draw the handle towards you. The plate is in tension, so it can be thinner than a western saw that must survive a push. John Lloyd’s notes make that point, and add that many Japanese teeth are not filed once dull. A push handsaw cuts on the way forward, which is why the 550–560 mm plates here are the ones for a sleeper. Classic Hand Tools describes the same split: pull stroke, thinner blade, replaceable blades. Call it a ryoba only if the listing does. Push a pull saw and the teeth jump. The feel of the start is on how to use a hand saw.

What you gain with the thin kerf

The thin plate removes less wood, so a dowel or stair trim is easier to meet. Lay it almost flat to nibble a dowel proud of a face. A 22 inch push plate stands too tall. The SURFOU is about £7.99 and 100 g, 4.6 from 660 reviews, with a coarse edge, a fine edge, and a replaceable blade claimed. Pitch is not stated. It is not a dozuki or a ryoba. The Magicbox set is about £17.99 for four pieces, 4.7 from 70 reviews, and the bullet says flush-cut. One reviewer said a blade dulled and bent. Trade pages often put Japanese saws nearer £25–£35. That is BuildWiz’s guide, not our scrape.
Spear & Jackson Spear & Jackson Predator B9822

Testsieger

Spear & Jackson Spear & Jackson Predator B9822
8.5/10about £10.79
View offer

What stays a push saw

Thick timber stays on the long push saw. The B9822, 22 inch at 8 points and about £10.79, and the Draper 82196, 550 mm at 8 PPI and about £9.29, are the carcassing plates. A 100 g pull saw starts a fence post and folds if you lean. If the post is standing and you cannot control the fall, call someone who cuts trees. The push saw will not lie flat to trim a dowel. Use the pull saw when the cut is short or flush and you will not twist the plate. Keep both if you do joinery and carcassing.

A saw that only cuts one way

The AIRAJ is about £16.99 and 450 mm, and the title does not call it Japanese. It claims push and pull. One UK reviewer could cut only on the backward stroke. That is a stroke warning, not a ryoba. If the teeth skate on the push, pull. A double-sided pull saw is two edges on one plate. On the SURFOU that is a coarse edge and a fine edge, still one thin plate. Switching edges does not make a 550 mm panel saw. A replaceable blade means a new blade or a return. You do not file a Japanese tooth or a hardpoint. Prices are amazon.co.uk shelf figures from 15 October 2026.

Common questions

Do Japanese saws cut on the pull?
Yes. The teeth cut as you draw the handle towards you, with the plate in tension, which is why the steel can be thinner than a western push saw. John Lloyd and Classic Hand Tools both describe that stroke. Pushing the first strokes like a panel saw makes the teeth jump. Seat a short groove on the waste side of the line before you lengthen the cut.
Are pull saws easier for a beginner?
They are easier to start, and easier to kink. The thin plate bites with less effort, which helps a flush dowel or a short trim cut. A Magicbox reviewer reported a blade that dulled and bent, and UK Workshop users say the switch from a European saw takes practice. Twist the plate in a thick section and the easier saw fails first.
Will a pull saw rip a thick post?
Not as a rip saw. A thin plate starts, then bends once the section is deep. Use a 550–560 mm push saw for a sleeper, a joist, or a fence post on the ground. A standing post you cannot control is a job for someone who cuts trees.
Can I sharpen a pull saw?
Do not count on it. Many Japanese teeth are not filed, which is John Lloyd’s point, and the SURFOU listing claims a replaceable blade. Hardpoint push saws share the limit: Axminster says those teeth are replaced, not re-sharpened. A dull edge is a new blade, a new saw, or a return if it arrived blunt.
What is a flush-cut saw?
It is a thin plate you can lay almost flat to trim something proud of a surface, such as a dowel on a cabinet face. The Magicbox bullet uses flush-cut for that job, and SURFOU reviewers describe similar cuts on stair fillers. A 22 inch push saw is too tall for that face. The thin plate still bends if you twist it, so the cut stays short.
Is a double-edge saw two saws?
No. It is two edges on one plate. The SURFOU listing says a coarse edge and a fine edge on a double-sided pull saw, with covers for the idle side. You still pull, and the blade will not rip a post. It is not a ryoba unless the listing says so, and this one does not. Changing edge does not give you a panel saw.

Related pages

First fix or second fix saw

Hand saw buying guide

Best hand saw UK

Wood saw

How to use a hand saw without a stuck or wandering cut

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines scraped on 15 October 2026.

  1. HSE, cutting and sanding wood (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. HSE, wood dust (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. HSE INDG291, providing and using work equipment safely (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. HSE L114, safe use of woodworking machinery (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 35 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. Axminster, hardpoint handsaws (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. BLACK+DECKER KS890ECN-GB (retrieved 16 October 2026)