Shark 10-2204 Dowel/Dovetail/Detail Saw [Tools & Hardware] [Tools & Hardware]

I initially bought this saw because it's advertised as being able to cut dowels or plugs flush with a surrounding surface. I tried this a few times, and was fairly disappointed - it cut easily enough, but scratched the surrounding surface badly! After more research, I learned that a true flush-cut saw does not have any "set" on the teeth (i.e. the teeth aren't bent out from the saw plate. Some set is important to prevent the saw plate from binding in deeper cuts, but it means that the teeth will scratch the surrounding surface if it's used as a flush cut saw).
I eventually bought a true flush cut saw from a popular Canadian woodworking/gardening retailer, and was amazed at how much difference that made. The teeth are truly flush with the saw plate, which means they won't scratch your workpiece when you flush cut a dowel or plug.
Not so on this Shark saw - the teeth do have set and will scratch your workpiece if used for flush cutting. Some significant time spent with a sharpening stone could theoretically remove this set, but the impulse-hardened teeth would make this more difficult, and it would be hard (for me at least) to justify that time and trouble when ready-to-use flush cut saws are available for only a few dollars more.

Second, this saw is advertised as "Ideal for dovetails..." While it may be strictly FUNCTIONAL for dovetails, it's far from ideal. The vast majority of saw cuts made when creating a dovetail are effectively rip cuts, which means you're cutting along or parallel to the grain of the wood. This type of cut is fastest and most efficient when done using a saw with rip style teeth. This Shark saw has teeth shaped for CROSSCUTS (perpendicular to the wood grain), so it's optimized for slicing through wood fibers in this orientation. It will still make rip cuts, but these cuts will be slower and potentially harder to control than they would be with a rip-specific saw. In other words, you could use this saw for an occasional dovetail, but again, it's definitely not "ideal".

The third descriptor in Amazon's title is "detail" saw. Finally an accurate description of an appropriate use for this saw! It does a fine job with small crosscuts and general trimming tasks, and leaves a fairly smooth surface. Nicer saws are available for these general small crosscutting tasks, but this is about as good as it gets for the price.

In summary: If this had been called a "Detail/fine crosscut saw", I would have given it a much higher rating. However, it's NOT a flush cutting or dovetail saw, and shouldn't be advertised as such. If you're looking for good saws for these specific tasks, look elsewhere.

As are most men these days I'm into my power tools. This saw may just change your mind for many projects. I have used one for a while now and it lives up to its claims. It will trim flush without marring the surface around what you are cutting. It cuts fast and straight. I've been using mine to cut dovetails and I actually like it better than my router! With the Leigh dovetail jig (about $400) I have a problem with tear-out. Using this saw, I can cut perfect dovetails, tennons and trim very small amounts with ease. It is faster and easier than setting up the expensive jigs. Of course it takes some practice, but once you try one of these saws you may never use a power saw for small cuts again.

I have a number of moderately priced Japanese handsaws that I find are absolutely invaluable in traditional Western woodworking. The thin kerfs and double-cut teeth cut through wood amazingly fast, and the technique- cutting on the pull stroke- makes it exceptionally easy to follow a pencil line.

This flexible cutoff saw has recently earned a place in my tool bag. The traditional double-cut design means you can cut on either side of the blade without scratching adjacent surfaces, unlike Western saws, which have teeth set to one side and can only be used on one side.

Not only will this saw cut protruding dowels about as quickly as it takes to think about it, it does it better than any power tool you can imagine. What kind of power tool could you used to trim a dowel in the middle of an oak floor, after all? With a price less than a package of blades for a Sawzall, it's a bargain.