Set & File: A Practical Guide to Saw Sharpening

by Matt Cianci

In "Set & File," Matt Cianci (aka The Saw Wright) teaches you the fundamentals of maintaining backsaws and handsaws: how to file and joint your saws with the correct rake, fleam and pitch to keep them cutting sharp. You'll also learn how to deal with saw teeth that are in good shape but dull, plus how to doctor teeth that have been abused successfully.

Plus, Matt shows you how to identify and restore vintage saws (i.e. is that yard sale box lot a good buy?) – and basic sawsmithing – how to hammer out a bent blade, and how to re-set the spine on a backsaw.

Matt set out to write this book because none of the vintage texts on saw sharpening include macro photos of what the teeth should look like at any stage of the process. The drawings in these old books are not helpful, Matt says. Once you see the teeth up close in a photo, it's much easier to file the teeth because you know what the goal is at every stage. So many of the photos in "Set & File" were made with super-macro lenses. 

With the hundreds of step-by-step photos and clear, no b.s. instruction, the techniques are easy to see and simple to follow. And that's because Matt makes saw sharpening simple – not complex. There are no “secrets,” special potions or hard-to-find tools required. And the only "specialty" tools required are a good saw vise (Matt includes dimensions for one you can easily make yourself), a set of saw files, a saw set and a few shop-made guides from scrap wood. 

After you understand the basic saw-filing principles, you will know how to tackle all kinds of saws and all kinds of saw problems.

The succinct and sometimes humorous book (88 pages packed with instruction) features a gray cloth cover over 98 pt. boards, #70-pound matte coated paper, and a sewn binding. The book is 8-1/2" x 11" (and 3/8" thick). Like a good saw, “Set & File” is made to last. And like all Lost Art Press books, it is produced and printed entirely in the United States.