How to Sharpen a Hand Saw – The 2009 Version

I started making woodworking videos in the summer of 2009. One of the first videos that I ever made was on sharpening a hand saw. I have never really understood all of the hesitation that folks have learning to sharpen their own hand saws. It’s no more difficult than learning to sharpen a plane iron or a chisel. All it takes is a small investment in some simple, inexpensive tools and a few minutes of practice. I’ll even suggest that you give it a try on one of your high priced premium saws. I think that it’s better to learn on one of these saws than on an old beater. You can watch my video from 2009 below to find out why.

My method for sharpening hand saws has really not changed much in the 11 years since I made this video. I have made a couple of minor updates to the way I do it, but I’ve done so more in the interest of speed and efficiency than I have for improvement in the finished result. If you are interested in my updated method of sharpening hand saws, I’ll be covering everything as part of my new Hand Saw Foundations course.