A decade ago, bringing out a Japanese handsaw on site always drew looks from other subs and crew members. But nowadays these tools are a bit more common. A number of importers are distributing Japanese handsaws through local tool stores and homecenters, so you don't have to buy them exclusively from highend woodworking supply catalogs. And a few of these saws, such as those sold by RMI Designs and Takagi Tools, have plastic "pistol" grips or folding handles in place of the traditional wooden "sword" handles, so at least you won't have to suffer the Ninja jokes any longer. But the saw blades are essentially the same as those that have been made for Japanese carpenters for centuries. For those who haven't
