A $35-$40 saw is almost entirely machine-made. It is stamped out of industrially-produced rolled steel, sharpened by CNC, and impulse-hardened, often with no hand work involved. This produces a saw that is cheap to produce but lacks many of the details that makes a great saw easy to use.

By comparison, see "How Jiro Bessho saws are made" below for details on the production process. Multiple skilled craftsmen produce each Bessho Jiro saw, and it has detailing that is only seen otherwise in saws that cost 4-5x the price.

A higher price does not always buy better performance. Not naming any names, but some saws sold on the US market at a premium are (as far as we can tell) machine-made blades with nicer handles and a good story.

They cost more, but they are not significantly different from budget brands.

With Bessho Jiro saws, you are paying for work that can only be done by hand (see How Bessho Jiro saws are made below for more details).

Fully custom smith-made saw cost at least several hundred dollars and can feel too precious to use. Bessho Jiro saws are made for regular use. They sit in a practical middle ground: good enough for clean professional work, not so dear you leave them on a shelf. The teeth can be resharpened if chipped or broken, and replacement blades are much under $90 if needed.

That said, we've been selling these for over two years and have yet to have a customer need a replacement blade or request sharpening.

• These saws are for natural wood only. Impulse-hardened blades are the correct tool for epoxies and engineered woods (plywood, melamine, chipboard, etc.).
• The steel is harder and thinner than machine-made blades. When deep in a cut take care not to bind the blade, as it can break if bent too far. They need very little force to cut well - if you find yourself gripping tightly, reassess.
• The blade is high-carbon steel and will rust if not kept dry. Wipe it with a soft cloth after use and keep it dry. A light coat of machine or camellia oil protects it for long-term storage.

No. This is a common misconception. The only saw we sell not suitable for hardwood is the 295mm ryoba, due to its size.

The majority of our saws have a general purpose tooth. This is optimized for softwood but is perfectly usable in hardwood.

If you work primarily in hardwoods and want something optimized for them, we recommend the hardwood kataba and hardwood dozuki. The teeth in these saws are hybrid teeth and will both rip and crosscut.