Well, that depends. The answer is actually one…unless you are a tool junkie like me! The classic jeweler’s saw at the far left in the photo above has been with me since I first started making jewelry over twenty-five years ago. It has served me well and will continue to do so, but the size and weight of this 5 ½” frame make it tiring to use for more than a short time. The “Knew Concepts” saw (shown in the center) was purchased several years ago. It has a different tension mechanism than the traditional jeweler’s saw so you don’t have to wedge the saw frame between your sternum and jewelry bench to insert a blade. Because the frame is made of rigid aluminum, it is light as a feather compared to my first saw! I use this saw when I have to do a lot of sawing in one sitting. The saw shown at the right side of the photo is my newest acquisition and I confess that I was seduced by the black color and beautiful design. Made by GreenLion Studio, it has an extremely comfortable molded hard rubber handle and a sturdy 11 gauge steel frame. Although it weighs 7 ounces (about the same weight as my traditional jeweler’s saw), it has a lovely balance that makes it feel much lighter. One of the nice things about having more than one saw is that I don’t have to change blades as often. I use a lot of different sizes and shapes of blades depending on the gauge of metal I’m cutting or if I’m sawing materials like Faux Bone™, Plexiglass®, resin, wood, etc., and as in cooking and having a well-equipped kitchen, having good jewelry-making tools makes any job much easier!
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