Carba-tec Japanese saws. Are they any good?

[Evanism]

The biggest at the moment seems to be 320, but that's huge. Absolutely huge.

[NeilS]

Have you seen saws of that style for rip, or just something bigger like maebiki?

A couple of ebay sellers have been selling maebiki over here, but I wonder how many of them actually get used.

That one of mine is a Madonoko and was made specifically for ripping.

eg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE5FJVfDmFo

The maebiki was used horizontally to rip logs (thus the high whale back to maintain a straight cut) and traditionally they were often used by a pair of sawyers, one either side of the log and in the same cut and alternating their strokes so that the saws did not come in contact with each other. You would be hard pressed to find a pair of sawyers that could do that now. So, yes, they are just collectors pieces now. They look great hanging on a wall.

The lucas mill, or similar, is a far more efficient way to slab a log now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT_Byumls8U


Neil

[D.W.]

Excellent. Thanks for providing the name of that type of saw. I like them and wouldn't mind having one in rip configuration.

The ones in those videos seem a little pokey, but they are cutting dry wood.

I routinely resaw stuff between 4 and 6 inches wide, but not too much wider than that, but even at that, as you suggest, maebiki are for much bigger wood and even if I had the opportunity, the novelty would probably wear off.

Probably much better for wet wood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY41NE79lgY

[NeilS]

Here is a pair of maebiki being used in the traditional way by two sawyers. Must be the last pair in Japan!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4o_zi7l8DY

Fascinating, but not fast enough for modern purposes.

Apologies for taking us off topic.

Neil

[Superbunny]

Tolmie, the Carba-tec saws are great, I now have 3 of them and they are my go to saw. I first purchased one at a TWWW Show 3 years ago and never looked back, I'm sure there are better ones out there but for an introduction to these saws the Carba-tec ones are fine. I have never enjoyed using a saw as much as these and I use it with just the weight of the saw itself doing the work, give one a go and if you don't like it I'll buy it off you, that's the confidence I have in them.

SB