Hot take: I still prefer hand saws over circular saws for trim work

I know everyone and their brother swears by a good circular saw for cutting baseboards and crown molding. In my experience, a sharp hand saw gives me way more control, especially on those 45-degree miters. I switched back to hand tools about 3 years ago after I blew through a piece of poplar too fast with a power saw and wrecked a $40 section of trim. There's a rhythm to cutting by hand that I just don't get with a noisy blade. For quick framing jobs, sure, grab the circular saw. But for finish work in my shop in Nashville, I'll take the quiet precision every time. Has anyone else gone back to hand tools for certain cuts?

2 comments

2 Comments

zara_allen10d agoMost Upvoted

Had a buddy who does high end custom cabinets. He was cutting some really nice walnut trim for a kitchen, using his fancy new cordless circular saw. Zipped right through a piece and the blade caught a hidden knot. Sent the trim flying, cracked it clean in two. That was a $60 piece of wood gone in two seconds. He sold that saw the next week and went back to his vintage Disston hand saws. Now he won't touch a power saw for anything that's gonna be visible in the final product.

the_aaron10d ago

That torque reaction from a cordless circular saw is actually way higher than corded models because the motors have instant full power. He probably didn't have his left hand locked in that death grip position above the blade guard. Disston hand saws have that slow, controlled cut that lets you read the grain as you go.