18" Roubo Beastmaster Saw

• 9 ppi (Pitch per Inch)
• Filed Rip
• Plate Thickness .0315"
• Kerf of .045"
• Depth of cut 5"
• Perfect for building Roubo Workbenches, Timber Framing, Large-scale Projects
• Great for cutting Tenon and Mortise Joints in thick green lumber

Handle: Modeled after traditional 1887 Disston-pattern closed handle. All Bad Axe handles are milled from full-heart quartersawn stock in Cherry, White Oak, Hard Maple and Walnut. Why quartersawn? Though it's the most expensive cut of wood, quartersawn stock mitigates wood movement with seasonal change, which can throw the plate out of true.

Bad Axe sources all handle stock from a family-owned business practicing sustainable lumber harvesting practices, and with whom we've done business from the very beginning. North American hardwoods: beautiful, sustainable, environmentally responsible.

Backs: Traditional folded sawback finished in black-oxide carbon steel, or titanium nitride carbon steel. Read more about this critical component for any backsaw, and why Bad Axe promotes the enduring traditional folded sawback over commonplace static-backed saws that disallow retensioning the toothline with heavy use.

Have you purchased enough brass-backed saws already to know that they just don't age that well? It's a great look, but it doesn't take long for tarnish to set in, and over time a brass-backed saw deforms with hard use, wreaking havoc on your toothline. But it's traditional, right? And conveys a traditional, warm look we all like to see. But form only goes so far before substance sets in. You very seldom see brass-backed saws longer than 12" or 14", because brass just isn't a strong enough an alloy for larger saws. Steel on the other hand presents superior strength and durability. So-we at Bad Axe made the hard choice to phase brass out of our product line, since it's difficult to work with (it has a 'springy' quality to it), doesn't form well, tarnishes, and at the end of the day, just doesn't measure up to carbon steel, which can take a variety of plating’s for aesthetic purposes.

Long a favored finish for high-end firearms, titanium nitride presents stellar corrosion and wear-resistance, Titanium-Nitride hits the sweet spot when it comes to form following function. The tone falls between the look you get between brass and bronze, so it certainly scratches that aesthetic itch you desire. And the cool thing about it? We can apply Titanium Nitride on our largest sawbacks, where the strength and durability of a steel-backed saw is paramount. So, what are you getting for the $75 upcharge? It's obviously not cheap-because it's not a cheap plating process for us to apply. But what you get is corrosion and wear resistance, along with that deep, brass/bronze look that retains its golden luster over time. Give it a shot--this is a drop-dead gorgeous plating that will retain its deep, rich look for the generations to come.

Check out our hand size chart and measuring graphic in order to get the best fit on your new saw.

• “I have to say I'm blown away with my new Beast Master of a saw. It cuts like a dream. I've included pictures of my first joint cut with it: a couple of large rising dovetails as seen on Roubo's famous bench cut into a 10 cm thick slab of old growth Formosan pine. This warm up project has me hungry for more. I'm confident that with this awesome tool, I'll be able to take on even bigger thicker slabs of wood. Thanks again!!!”— David LaBolle, Pingtung, Taiwan

• “This saw works wonders! As a professional woodworker who uses only reclaimed wood, I rarely have the opportunity to select my stock, so I longed for a saw that could handle different depths of cut. I needed a saw that was thick, straight and sharp and Mark's Beastmaster was the one. I am now able to easily work with many more types of reclaimed wood. With 5 full inches under the back, it handles just about anything I throw at it. I have a hard time putting this saw down because it can rip and crosscut better then any other saw I have used. It truly is the go-to saw for all my projects. The Beastmaster is big, but the shadow it casts on the wall in my shop is even bigger. Mark definitely built a custom saw to fit my needs. As an added bonus, I build custom furniture and have learned to truly value the personal relationship between client and customer. Mark's professionalism is top notch. Mark, you have once again resurrected western style saws for me. They are a pleasure to hold, own and take pride in, and I thank you. You give my craft a new meaning and I look forward to getting in the shop and creating some dust.” — Custom Furniture Maker Matt Simon, Berthoud, Colorado

• “I cut out the Roubo dovetail, tenon and shoulder and the cuts were fully five inches down and the saw was an absolute dream to use. I had never cut something that big that was also meant to have some precision to it. Keeping the saw cuts on line was very easy and given that I was cutting five inches across and five inches down, I was very, very impressed with the Beastmaster. If you have big cuts like this and you need to stay on line you would be very hard pressed to find another saw as good. I truly loved using the Beastmaster as it is a true "Manly" saw!” — Fred West, Chester, PA