According to R.A. Salaman's Dictionary of Wood-working Took, "hand saw" is the term given to a group of saws with blades that are wide, vary from about 10" to 30" in length, and usually taper in width from the handle to the toe. Improvements in steel-making technology in the early 17th century introduced saw blades that were wider and thinner, yet stiffer, than their predecessors, allowing toolmakers to dispense with the cumbersome wooden bow-saw frames that were needed to tension earlier blades. By the mid-18th century, English saws, usually made of Sheffield steel, looked very much like the saws we know today. For more than 200 years, this style of saw, which cuts on the push stroke, was the most common among woodworkers following European traditions. Only recently has the Japanese saw, which cuts on the pull stroke, become so popular in western countries in both sales and usage that it has nearly eclipsed what is today called the "western saw."
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