What is a hand saw?

	Most likely, when you think of a saw, this is what comes to mind - a long saw with a wide blade and a large handle at one end. There are two types of hand saws available: wood hand saw and general purpose hand saw.
Statement
	Hand saws are ideal for most common sawing jobs in the home. However, their large blade means they are not suitable for making smaller, thinner cuts or for sawing curves or complex shapes. If you want to make such cuts, consider buying a special saw for the job.
Materials
	A hand saw for wood should be able to cut both hard and soft wood, as well as plywood. A general purpose hand saw designed for cutting hard and soft woods, plastics and non-ferrous metals. Whether it is generic will be stated in the product specification.
Features
	Blade A hand saw has a long, wide blade that usually cannot be removed from the handle. Blades are available in various lengths from 380mm to 600mm (approximately 14.9" - 23.6").
	Teeth Traditionally, hand saws had either transverse teeth (for cutting wood across the grain) or longitudinal teeth (for cutting across the grain). Nowadays, most models have teeth that can do both. They are often referred to as "universal" or "useful" teeth.
	cutting stroke Most hand saws will cut on the push stroke. However, models are now available that cut in both push and pull strokes.
	Teeth per inch (TPI) Hand saws usually had 7 and 10 teeth per inch.
	To complete The more teeth per inch your hand saw has, the neater the finish will be. Typically, hand saws have a relatively low TPI and therefore do not provide very clean cuts. However, this means that they are ideal for quick and rough cutting to size of materials. Because of the large blade, they are generally not suitable for delicate work.
	Processing All hand saws have a so-called "closed pistol grip". This type of handle is often found on saws with large or long blades that are designed for faster, more aggressive cutting. The large handle supports the blade, and because it is closed, the user's hand is less likely to slip out when sawing fast.
	The closed design also serves to protect the user's hand from contact with the blade, which is very useful for fast and rough sawing.