Yes, excessive set also causes the toe to flop around on the backstroke. Especially in less soft woods. In softer woods, the saw can advance so quickly the ridges and loose fiber left behind can lessen the effect.

Time? What’s that?!

Take care, Mike

I have found that the annoying flapping at the toe end on the backstroke can sometimes be caused by poor setting of the teeth. Have you encountered this?

This is my first time reading your blog. This will become a favorite place for people to come for their saw questions to be answered.

Good luck budgeting your time. *grin*

Marv

Jim

Vibration when I am sawing is almost always due to my not withrawing the saw fully in-line with the kerf. Often when I am sawing quickly, my hand either twists slightly or my hand drifts to one side or the other from the kerf. Either of those situations will cause the saw to vibrate.

Another cause can also be too much pressure on the backstroke. If the teeth remain engaged with much pressure against the bottom of the kerf, the washboard effect of the teeth in the cut can also cause the effect. Especially when combined with those things I listed that I often enough do.

As for the bending at the toe and presuming the saw is sharp, if this is a cross cut, is to increase the fleam angle and or rake angle at the toe and “blend” it in to the stronger portion. This will allow the teeth to more readily slice into the fibers. With a rip, the addition of a little fleam at the toe will also allow the same slicing effect.

Take care, Mike

That explains a hell of a lot. Both my hand saws (not great quality, but they work well) have breasting and I’ve noticed that in the pull stroke when the toe is almost in the wood, not only does the saw sometimes kink (at the beginning of the subsequent forward stroke) but it rattles and vibrates at the toe as it’s pulled back. What can I do about this rattle? It feels like the saw is slapping from side to side at the toe as it’s pulled into the wood.