The hand saw is used for sawing across the grain and for general purposes of many kinds. It is similar in general character to the rip saw, but as it is intended to overcome greater resistance, it is shorter and not so tapered. The dimensions are 24 ins. long, 7 1/2 ins. deep at the handle, and at the tapered end, 3 ins. For boys, however, a smaller size, of 22 ins. long, 5 ins. deep at the handle, and 2 1/2 ins. at the other end, is recommended.

The teeth of this saw should be similar to those in fig. 71. They are strong, and the front edges should be sharpened so as to give blunt chisel edges, i.e., inclined to the face at about 80°, and sometimes, for rough work, they are even made square.

The 'set' should not be coarse, but this, again, depends very much on the nature of the work to be done.