• 17 parts
  • Checked September 2026

Parts of a Saw

A hand saw from the side, its teeth close up, and five more hand saws.

Parts of a Saw

Name Date

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Handle
  2. Blade
  3. Teeth
  4. Back
  5. Toe
  6. Heel
  7. Point
  8. Gullet
  9. Set
  10. Rip teeth
  11. Crosscut teeth
  12. Kerf
  13. Backsaw
  14. Dovetail saw
  15. Compass saw
  16. Coping saw
  17. Hacksaw

Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

Next step Next: the parts of a circular saw

All 17 parts on the diagram

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Hand saw 6

  1. Handle The grip, fastened over one end of the blade.
  2. Blade The thin steel plate. It narrows toward the far end.
  3. Teeth The row of cutters along one edge of the blade.
  4. Back The edge of the blade opposite the teeth.
  5. Toe The end of the blade farthest from the handle.
  6. Heel The end of the blade nearest the handle.

Teeth close up 6

  1. Point The sharp tip of a tooth.
  2. Gullet The space between two teeth.
  3. Set The bend of the teeth, left and right in turn.
  4. Rip teeth Teeth shaped like small chisels, for cutting along the grain.
  5. Crosscut teeth Teeth filed to knife points, for cutting across the grain.
  6. Kerf The slot a saw cuts. It is wider than the blade.

More hand saws 5

  1. Backsaw A saw with a stiff strip of metal along its back.
  2. Dovetail saw A small, thin backsaw with a straight handle.
  3. Compass saw A narrow, tapering saw for cutting curves and holes.
  4. Coping saw A very narrow blade in a frame, for cutting curves.
  5. Hacksaw A fine-toothed blade in a frame, to cut metal.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30 and kept only where at least two of these use it. (1) US Navy, Tools and Their Uses (1971), full text at https://archive.org/details/ERIC_ED132362 : a steel blade with a handle at one end; the point or toe; the heel, the end of the blade nearest the handle; teeth, set, kerf and points per inch; rip and crosscut-saw teeth; backsaw, dovetail saw, compass saw, coping saw, hacksaw. (2) Wikipedia, Saw, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saw , with Hand saw and Backsaw: back (the edge opposite the toothed edge), gullet (the valley between the teeth's points), heel, toe, set, kerf, points per inch; coping saw, hacksaw, compass saw, dovetail saw. (3) W. Noyes, Handwork in Wood (1910), https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20846 : points to the inch, rip-saw teeth and crosscut-saw teeth, kerf, set, the back-saw with a rib of steel along the back, dovetail-saw, compass-saw. (4) US Army, TM 9-243, Use and Care of Hand Tools and Measuring Tools (1983), full text at https://archive.org/details/use-and-care-of-hand-tools-and-measuring-tools-1983 : blade, teeth and handle; backsaw, compass saw, hacksaw. (5) Woodshop Tool Maintenance (1974 printing), search passages at https://archive.org/details/woodshoptoolmain0000cunn : the gullet, the space between the teeth; rip teeth and crosscut teeth. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's tool, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

This saw is a carpenter's hand saw: a thin steel blade with teeth along one edge and a handle at one end. The second view shows the teeth close up.

Read the full guide

Toe, heel and back

The blade is narrow at one end and wide at the other. The narrow end, farthest from the handle, is the toe. The wide end, nearest the handle, is the heel. The edge opposite the teeth is the back.

Point, gullet, set and kerf

The sharp tip of a tooth is its point, and the space between two teeth is a gullet. The teeth are bent to one side and the other in turn. That bend is the set, and it makes the kerf, the slot the saw cuts, wider than the blade.

  • Points per inch are always one more than teeth per inch.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a saw called?

A hand saw has a blade and a handle. The blade has teeth along one edge and a back along the other. Its narrow end is the toe and its wide end, by the handle, is the heel.

What is the kerf of a saw?

The kerf is the slot the saw cuts. Because the teeth are set, bent a little to each side, the kerf is wider than the blade is thick.

How do rip teeth differ from crosscut teeth?

Rip teeth have an upright front and a square edge, like a row of small chisels, and cut along the grain. Crosscut teeth are filed to knife points and cut across the grain. Crosscut saws usually have more points per inch.

What is a backsaw?

A saw with a straight blade and a heavy strip of steel or brass along its back, which keeps the thin blade stiff. A dovetail saw is a small backsaw.

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