Made by sawsmiths Hishika in Miki, Japan, this versatile set of compact Japanese saws are outstanding for small scale work. The blades on this range are not replaceable, but for the light work they are intended for there is no reason why, with appropriate care, they shouldn't perform beautifully for decades. The handles are made from hinoki cypress bound with rattan. If you need small in size but don't want to compromise on quality, you've just found it.From the top:
Mawashibiki keyhole sawA very shallow blade ideal for cutting outwards from a drilled hole, think really precise and controllable jigsaw. As well as keyholes they are useful for all kinds of pierced work, backsplats etc. Cuts on the pull stroke, blade depth at thickest point 12mm, thinnest point 6mm.
Overall length 300 mm
Blade length 120 mm
Blade thickness 1.0 mm
Kerf 1.3 mm
Pitch 1.5 mm (17tpi)
Dozuki dovetail sawA fine, thin bladed saw with a supporting spine for small precise cuts, combination teeth perform equally well for rip, cross or angled cuts. This compact dozuki is ideal for jewellery boxes, kumiko work, small drawers etc. The maximum depth of cut below the spine is 27mm (1").
Overall length 320 mm
Blade length 120 mm
Blade thickness 0.2 mm
Total length 320 mm
Kerf 0.25 mm
Pitch 0.8 mm (32tpi)
Kugihiki flush cutting sawA thin flexible blade with unset teeth for trimming dowels, plugs and through tenons flush without damaging the adjacent surface.
Overall length 320 mm
Blade length 120 mm
Blade thickness 0.4 mm
Kerf 0.4 mm
Pitch 1.0 mm (26tpi)
Kataba panel sawA more aggressive toothed backless saw for slicing up panels and sawing components to length, intermittent raker teeth with larger gullets clear the waste efficiently for a faster cut.
Total length 320 mm
Blade length 120 mm
Blade thickness 0.4 mm
Kerf 0.6 mm
Pitch 1.1 mm (22tpi)
Ryoba double edged sawRip teeth on one side, crosscut teeth on the other, the ryoba is perhaps the most widely used of all Japanese saw types. Ideal for cutting square joinery; mortice and tenon, saddles, lap joints, etc.
Total length 320 mm
Blade length 120 mm
Blade thickness 0.35 mm
Kerf 0.5 mm
Pitch crosscut edge 1mm (26tpi)
Pitch ripcut edge 2mm(13tpi)
Azebiki floorboard sawSimilar to a ryoba but with curved toothlines allowing cuts to be started within a panel. Saws with similar configurations have been used for cutting the tongue of laid floorboards to create access panels, but they can also be used for drawer fronts, pierced panels or anywhere else you need to start a cut in the middle of a board.
Total length 320 mm
Blade length 60 mm
Blade thickness 0.3 mm
Kerf 0.5 mm
Pitch crosscut edge 1.2mm (20tpi)
Pitch ripcut edge 2.5mm(10tpi)
