How to File a Handsaw

File your handsaw regularly to keep the blade sharp.

Handsaws need to be filed regularly in order to keep the blade at its sharpest. You can file your saw yourself at home with just a few inexpensive items. All that is needed to sharpen your handsaw is a vise, a handle and a file. The vise holds the saw in place during the filing. Sharpening a saw may take up to an hour the first time you practice it, but over time, it will become a much quicker process.

Things You'll Need

• Vise
• File
• Handle

Instructions

1. Inspect the teeth. This is the easiest way to detect whether or not a saw needs filing. The teeth should be even and should catch skin if you were to graze your hand against the blade.

2. Clamp the handsaw in the vise. Adjust the height so that the saw does not wobble. Tighten the clamp to ensure stability during filing.

3. Place the file onto the saw, positioning it between two of the teeth. Line the file up so it matches the angle of the teeth.

4. Move the file forwards and backwards to sharpen the tooth. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 for each tooth of the blade.

5. Flip over the saw. Continue filing each tooth as you did on the first side until the teeth are all in uniform. Once completed, all teeth should look the same on both sides of the saw.

Tips & Warnings

• The size of the file needed to sharpen a saw depends on the size of the blade. There are four sizes of files: slim, extra slim, double extra slim and regular. Make sure you choose the right size file or you will compromise the quality of the blade post filing.

References

• Vintage Saws: Saw Filing
• Calast: Sharpening Saws