Fretsaws

Fretsaws are an integral part of making marquetry and over the centuries they have evolved. The earliest ones were made of wood while the ones we use today have become standardized. In between there were ingenious saws like the MotoSaw by Dremel. Made in 1941 it used pin-end blades and had a motor in the handle. It never became commercially successful.

If we look at fretsaws today the saw frame provides the tension to the blade. This works well with todays blades which are very thin. In the 18th-Century, blades were much thicker. The better fretsaws of the time employed a mechanism within the handle for tightening the blade. Below is one such saw. This saw is for sale and can be found here. The knob at the end of the handle is rotated to provide tension. Compare this to the engraving found in L'Art du Menuisier by Andre Jacob Roubo. Except for the ornamentation and the abilty to adjust for blade length they appear to be similar in technical operation.