Everything you need to unleash the simple power of the humble handsaw.

In a woodworking world replete with power tools, many woodworkers - both beginner and professional alike - are skeptical of or intimidated by handsaws. Yet, once put to use and mastered, the simple power of these humble hand tools can both awe and inspire.

A handsaw is woodworking in it's most pure and minimal form. If you can see and follow a line - any line - you can cut the line. There's no need for crazy setups or jigs; just grab the right saw and start cutting - any angle, any shape. Complex joinery becomes no more than a series of lines to cut on your stock.

Compiled from more than a decade's worth of Popular Woodworking material, Handsaw Essentials provides all the information a woodworker needs to choose the right saw, use it successfully, and keep it razor sharp for years to come. In the end, using a handsaw to stay on the straight and narrow when tracking any line will become a successful and satisfying endeavor.