I've used the Gyokucho 300mm ryoba saws a bunch and they're pretty good.

But I've recently become a big fan of the Z saws that have 330mm separate crosscut and rip blades. I get them from:
http://www.tashirohardware.com/
and they're super friendly and have super sharp saws. They cut a good bit faster than the 300mm Gyokucho, but smooth enough for timber framing.
Brad

This may not be bang-on topic, but can pull saws be used to cut 'inside' curvatures, eg. curved knee joints or joist stress relief at girt. Otherwise, what to use? I've used a Makita jigsaw for plywood but ...

Griffon,

I doubt that you can cut a curve with any off the mentioned/available pull saws. Simply because the blade is to wide thus wanting to cut straight. If you want to hand cut the curved knee braces you could to that with a frame saw. You can get a variety of saw blades for this type of saw including a very narrow blade, similar to a band-saw blade, which will allow you to cut any shape you can imagine. It will be a conventional saw blade though but it cuts very well.
In the power tool section there is the option of either hand held or stationary band saw.

Joist reductions were historicaly cut with an axe. curved braces can be shaped with a chain saw or hewn with an axe. It is best if you can find naturally curved material for braces so that the grain follows the curve. I like live edge braces the best, look behind me in the picture I posted. All the braces over the book shelves are live edge, sawn on only two sides and the bark drawknifed off to follow the natural curve. Tom

Thought you might appreciate knowing your words weren't wasted



This saw position allows visual on both sides of the tenon nose. I was tempted by the Tashiro blades, and I'm not dissapointed, so thanks 'timbrewrestler'. Cheaper to import than anything available in France. I'm especially pleased with the rip blade. Incidentally, Mr Tashiro gives away a free convex blade with orders in excess of $100. Can't think of a use for that in t-f (?) but its good for cutting roof-boards midway on the rafter-line (lots of these to repair in our old outbuildings).

PS. Does anyone else rip-cut brace tenons?

I'll rip brace tennons if the wood is being polite. If it's fighting my ripsaw I pull out the cordless circular saw, kerf them then clean up with with the chisel and plane.

I've since thought of a good use for a convex blade:

When cutting to a limit (ie. not whole section) and where two cuts must meet prependicularly, my see-saw action (I'm still in training!) normally results in wood holding within, not at the extremities. Uncertainty over the exact location of this holding wood generally results in de-passing the desired limits. Use of a convex blade at this point is of help in cutting only the wood within.

am curious as to where you all get your Japanese pull saws sharpened?

Ron,

I have not seen a japanese pull saw that could be sharpened. The blade is hardened steel that cannot be sharpened anyway. That is way the teeth brake of if you hit something, say a nail or so. Better of having a few extra blades.

I just had my saw (Ryoba) sharpened. A gentleman I met while working on a job in New England sent it to a friend of his in Vermont who did a beautiful job. Tuned it up a bit -it had "acquired" a bit of a bow in the blade. It's now nice and straight and much sharper than when it left me.
Japan Woodworker sells the various sized feather files used to sharpen the saws but I would submit to you that this is a little trickier than sharpening a Western saw. I mentioned in an earlier post that HIDA might have a sharpening service available. They did at one time. I should also clarify that all this talk of sharpening refers to the nicer handmade saws, not the disposable-blade saws. Don't get me wrong, I like my Silky disposable-blade saws very much too!!