Tenon Saws are large backsaws beefy enough to cut tenons in joinery work. Like all backsaws, tenon
saws are stiffened by metal reinforcement on the top of the saw, opposite the cutting edge to prevent
the blade from distorting during cuts.
Traditional tenon saws are distinguished from dovetail saws by their size: longer, wider blades for
faster sawing through much deeper cuts, with fewer teeth for sawing through tenon cheeks and other
stock far thicker than is usually encountered in dovetails.
Tenon Saws are typically available with either rip or cross-cut tooth sets. Most of your time sawing
tenons is spent cutting the cheeks along the grain, so rip sets are an option or for cutting tenon shoulders
crosscut teeth patterns are especially efficient at cutting across the grain.
In recent years, we have experienced a hand saw Renaissance with saw makers taking their craft to
new levels. Lie-Nielsen has created tapered tenon saws and Bad Axe offers a "Hybrid" tooth design with
the ability to rip or crosscut in one tenon saw.