A sharp saw.

摘要

I am told that my daddy could build a house with a hammer and a handsaw. I watched him build things with wood and, because of that, I have no reason to doubt it. He was part of the "Greatest Generation." When I was young he made me a wagon entirely from wood. Wheels, axles, everything. It was the best wagon in the world. And he made it with a handsaw. Daddy understood that his handsaw, as well as his other tools, performed better if they were well maintained. Which brings to mind a vision of him that will always stay with me. That is of him sitting with the saw turned upside down and held between his knees. In his right hand was a saw tooth file. This vision included him meticulously filing each and every tooth on that saw until each was razor sharp. Not only that, but he also used what was called a saw tooth crimping tool. This tool, manually with the squeeze of your hand, would align each tooth in the position it was supposed to be in to be the most effective. The reason he did these things was because he knew a sharp and aligned saw made cutting smoother, faster, and almost effortless. Another thing he did was keep the rust from building up on the blade as that, too, would hinder the gliding and operation of the saw.