For many woodworkers the table saw is the pride of the workshop because it can perform an enormous number of functions fast and accurately. It is also the machine most likely to have its safety features removed for the sake of expediency, and consequently has earned a reputation of being one of the more dangerous machines to operate. With ear protection the noise can be dealt with, and dust collectors can be installed to remove the sawdust; in fact, a whole array of support systems from jigs to power-assisted feeders can supplement the basic machine. However, I frequently remind myself that it is not absolutely indispensable, nor is it always the best tool for any given sawing job.

Handsaws can make life easier on occasion and provide a welcome and safer alternative to the table or miter saw. For example, crosscutting long, heavy pieces is much more easily done with a crosscut handsaw and two sawhorses than trying to manipulate an unwieldy board on a narrow table saw. Avoiding binding and kick back while ripping twisted or warped boards on a table saw can be dangerous operation, but there is no such danger when done by hand. Very small pieces are also more safely cut on a bench with a handsaw than trying to feed them through a table saw with fingers only a slip away from the blade. And no matter what you are doing, if far from the wood shop, or if the machine breaks down, work need not stop if you own and know how to use a set of handsaws.

Surprisingly, a quality handsaw can be found for very little. I'm not talking about new saws, the vast majority of which are worse than useless -- except a few of the expensive ones offered in the better stores. I'm talking about a secondhand saw which can be bought for ten to thirty dollars at flea markets and the like. Of course, a certain amount of refitting may be necessary on a used handsaw - but even a new saw is generally in no condition to be used "as purchased" either. Most will require proper jointing and setting, not to mention an attempt to make the handle comfortable enough for those long sessions without causing blister or cramps. Once you know what to look for, a secondhand saw is invariably a better buy. There is also a greater choice among the older saw companies that offered fine products in an almost endless variety of sizes, styles, and lengths.

Nowadays, ripsaws are made only in the 26" length, and few makers have more than two point sizes. Once you start looking for a secondhand saw in junk shops and dealers that specialize in old antique tools, you will discover that ripsaws were made from four to eight points to the inch, and can be found in lengths ranging from 18" to 28". Such a selection gives you the opportunity to find the most efficient and comfortable saw for the job at hand, allowing you to save your miter saw or other power-saw for heavier jobs.

It's not hard to tell a quality handsaw, even if you are looking at some that have been abused and now appear blunt, rusty, and covered with paint. Avoid any saw that is badly dented or bent - there are plenty of straight ones out there. Paint and rust can be cleaned off and even a few missing teeth need not worry you if it is a top quality saw. The most helpful clues are in the handle. Today's saws tend to have simple handles frequently made of hand-wearing plastic. Yesterday's saws were made for continual use so the handle was made with utmost attention. As a result, handles were designed with a great deal of care and pride. A good indication of the quality of a saw is the amount of shaping and carving on the handle. One made of carved and polished apple-wood, beech or other hardwood, and fixed to the blade with four or five brass screws (one of which has the maker's name and trademark on it), is a sure sign that the blade it holds is fine cast or spring steel, ground and tempered.

There are many handle designs, each more beautiful than the last, shaped with graceful curves that receive the blade in various ways, some designed to make it nearly impossible for the blade to work loose. By the way, a loose handle is no cause for rejection. As the humidity changes, occasional tightening of the screws is necessary; a wobbly handle uses up energy that should be transmitted directly to the blade. A handle with chips, silvers, or even large pieces missing is not completely defective because pieces can always be glued and shaped to match. But a thoroughly cracked handle should be replaced. If you can find an unbent blade with a severely damaged, yet intricate handle, it might well pay to buy it and replace the handle using the old one as a pattern.