Please explain razor saws to me

[nheather]

I have a couple of really old and cheap razor saws, they came with an aluminium mitre box which is long gone.  They were originally bought for RC model aircraft building projects, but that was many years ago, and they are now quite bent and pot-marked with corrosion.

 

So time to buy some new ones, I looked at the Zona range and instantly became overwhelmed.

 

They do three different thicknesses / kerf

 

Ultra Thin - 0.20mm

Fine - 0.25mm

Medium - 0.38mm

 

In the ultra thin they do, 52TPI, 42TPI and 32TPI

In the fine they do, 42TPI, 32TPI and 24TPI

And in the medium they do, 16TPI (flush cut) and 24TPI

 

They are all pull-cut.

 

That’s 8 different saws altogether and I’m not about to buy all of them.

 

In summary, in the hobby of model ship building, which would be the most useful?

 

Many thanks,

 

Nigel

[mtaylor]

To me, the kerf isn't that important as I'm cutting off a piece.  There are charts around that show tooth count vs. wood thickness and this is the important part, IMO.  If I'm ripping wood on a table/hobby saw then kerf is a factor due to waste, warpage, etc.  But again, there's tables for those.

[paul ron]

the zona saws are awsome. i have the complete set of 8 plus the 4in1 kit. like you, it seemed an overwhelming variety and a waste to get them all. in hind sight i could have gotten by with the 4 in 1 multi blade kit for $13. that has been my main go to saw, especially the keyhole blade.

 

with no regrets buying them all, i found the other saws very useful for setting guitar and other instrument's frets. fret wire comes in many different kerfs.  

 

for model building, these saws are a must have.

 

https://www.amazon.com/zona-saws/s?k=zona+saws

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 14 by paul ron

[Daniel Kimmer]

Most of the cutting I do by hand is done by a Ultra Thin Kerf Razor Saw 32tpi.  It cost around 10 $.  The wood I cut generally is not very thick.  I have a small chop / miter saw from Proxxon for any larger wood. I have several of the zona saws but i find the ultra thin kerf razor saw to be my "go-to".

[nheather]

I bought the first for my collection - it is the ultra thin 32 TPI, the main reason is that it is a set packaged with a mitre block at barely little more than the price of the saw alone.

 

I’ll see how I get along with that to start with.

[Daniel Kimmer]

you will enjoy using it, just remember to let the saw do the work.  It is very sharp and will make very fine cuts. Just take your time. Great selection on your part.

[palmerit]

I saw these recommended here: 

 

 

[palmerit]

Relatedly, I'm wondering if people have suggestions for thin keyhole saws. I saw them used by someone building the Norwegian Pram, which I'm doing now. You drill a pilot hole and then can saw out a slot with the keyhole saw (obviously, something a razor saw cannot be used for).

[paul ron]

3 hours ago, palmerit said:

Relatedly, I'm wondering if people have suggestions for thin keyhole saws. I saw them used by someone building the Norwegian Pram, which I'm doing now. You drill a pilot hole and then can saw out a slot with the keyhole saw (obviously, something a razor saw cannot be used for).

 the combo zona razor saw has a keyhole saw blade (about 3") ive used to cut a keyway for a box lock through a solid wood basement door. 

 

i also wish they had a bigger version of the keyhole blade, or even replacement blades. dont under estimate those saws. they cut like nothing else.

 

 

Edited Friday at 11:07 PM by paul ron