52 TPI, lots of little tiny teeth… But why would you want a saw that fine? I’ve been working on some compound mitre cuts on very small parts. Some of the cuts I only get one chance at, and then its back to making more stock to try again. Yes, I have been making a lot of small stock.. I do not want to have to sand, finish or refine these cuts. This ultra fine saw leaves a finish that does not require me to do anything to it. As you can imagine, it is not speed demon, and cuts pretty slowly, but this is not a saw for breaking down rough stock.

The saw in question is the Zona SA35/050. In shape its a gents style saw. The teeth are incredibly fine, the finish off the tool is amazing. The plate is only 0.008 inches thick. Its so fine the saw registers in a knife line, and the kerf is not much bigger than a knife line. You might think this is some ultra expensive specialty tool. At the time of writing it sells for just £14.34 on Amazon.

It has a steel folded back, It is made in the USA. One odd detail for something that looks like a traditional western saw is that as it arrives, it cuts on the pull stroke. If that really bothers you, you could tap off the back and flip the plate around.

The saw has a depth that’s about 1 1/8”. If that’s not enough for you, and you would still like a really fine saw, they also make a 32 TPI “Dovetail” saw, which has a slightly thicker plate at 0.01 inches and 1 3/4” deep. It also leaves a pretty great finish, but not quite as smooth as the 52.

I bought both saws about 5 years ago. Not a tool I reach for every month, but for some jobs is really great to have. For those of your starting out and looking for an affordable saw for dovetailing, the Dovetail saw is a pretty great starter option.

Check out the photos below for some details.

52 TPI Saw

6 inches long, and still sharp and working great after 5 years. 52 TPI Saw Just over an inch in cutting depth 52 TPI Saw An extremely good finish right off the saw. 52 TPI Saw The line on the right is a knife line. The line on the left is the saw kerf. The plate is fine enough that the teeth will easily register in the knife line. 52 TPI Saw It tracks really well.
52 TPI Saw The big brother. The 32 TPI Dovetail saw. 52 TPI Saw 1 3/4 inches of cutting depth. 52 TPI Saw A noticeably wider kerf, but still pretty fine. The saw still registers easily in a knife line. 52 TPI Saw Not quite as clean, but still a very nice finish for a saw. 52 TPI Saw The siblings side by side.