Blades for Stradsaws

THERE ARE EIGHT SIZES OF STEEL BLADES Available for Stradsaws! Other thicknesses are also available

25" Blade

New in 2020! This ultra-compact blade has a very surprising, big sound and even a wonderful low end. It is extremely fun and easy to play, and even the smallest player can enjoy it. Great tone, response and projection, with good sustain. The thickness is 0.035". This super compact blade has a surprising bass end - it goes down to E below middle C, and up four usable octaves! The blade feels just right, in terms of its bendability - Not too firm and not too soft. If mounted in either a Minstrel or a Mini-Model E handle, the whole saw is smaller than many handsaws!

27" Blade

This has been a favorite blade as of 2019. The playing length is 27", and the thickness is 0.035". This super compact blade has a surprising bass end - it goes down to C below middle C, and up four usable octaves! The blade has a firm, secure feel, and the tone is warm and full, with great sustain for a blade of this size. This is a great choice for fast playing! Perfect for people who are used to a handsaw. Also good for players with limited reach!

28" Martin Special Blade

The most popular Stradsaw blade! It is named after Tim Martin - one of the world's leading saw players. Tim needed a special blade that could be played lightning fast - for fiddle tunes, bluegrass and virtuoso classical music. He found his perfect blade in Stradsaw #7 - one of the very first musical saws that I made! I ended up replicating that blade a year later, at Tim's request. When I re-measured and re-tested it, I realized that I had hit upon the perfect taper - and I ended up creating my "Universal Taper System" from it, early in 2019. I now make all of my different blades from this one master pattern! Just an inch longer than the 27" blade, this slightly larger blade has a bit more width in the bass end. It has a very good low range, with rich, full tone - and the upper range is crystal-clear! There is an unusual degree of articulation possible on this blade, which allows it to be played very fast yet with excellent definition between the notes. The playing range is four complete octaves, starting on a low B an octave and a note below middle C. With the extra metal and a thickness of 0.035", this blade has great sustain when you need it. The sound carries quite well, and it holds its own very nicely against background music and other instruments. It's a terrific solo blade! With the compact size and quick, even response, this is the perfect choice for any player who wants a lot of versatility in a very easy-reach blade!

29" Blade

At 29", this 4-octave blade crosses over into bass territory! The bottom note is Bb an octave and a whole note below middle C, and this blade is especially rich on the low end - it sounds distinctly "bassy". The upper range is very strong and even, with slightly greater sustain than the shorter blades. With a thickness of 0.035", the bending feels perfect - not too stiff and not too soft. This blade is still considered to be in the compact size range, so a player with limited reach can definitely play it - as long as they use a cheat. This blade projects very well without any amplification - it's perfect for jamming or for very serious solo work.

30" Blade

This is my medium-sized blade. It can be played by people of average height, but may be a tad long for people who have very limited reach. The extra length and metal make this a superb, professional-level blade. At 0.035" thick, it feels about right - not too stiff and not too "bendy". It has wonderful sustain and a strong, clear tone. The bottom note is A, an octave and a third below middle C. Overall, this is a superb blade for either solo or concert performance. It also does well with other instruments - with or without amplification.

32" Concert Blade

This is the smaller of my two full-sized blades. Made with the standard-thickness 0.035" steel, it is very easy to bend. The tone is warm and full, with a rich true bass and a powerful upper end. The 4-octave note range starts on a low Ab, an octave and a major third below middle C. This blade has excellent physics - the extended length combined with extra bass width give it the best of everything, including very long sustain and even volume and response everywhere. If you want an ultimate professional blade that plays very easily and with easy bending, then this blade is hard to beat! The 32" blade is a good choice for players who are fairly tall or who have extra-long arms.. Shorter players will need an extended-reach cheat, and they will need to hold the whole saw in a fairly vertical playing position.

34" x 0.035" Blade

Like the Grand blade, this is a BIG one! It has many of the characteristics of the thicker blade - including the huge 9" bass width, but this standard-thickness 0.035" blade is easier to bend - possibly a little too easy, because the 34" length is just a tad too long for this thickness! Still, it is a very unique and wonderful blade, with great versatility and very good sound and sustain. It is not quite as powerful-sounding as the Grand blade, but it does go a bit lower in pitch - down to a Gb or a forced F, an octave and a fifth below middle C! It has at least four complete octaves, and some players report getting even more. If you want a big, strong blade that bends easily, you might like this one! But be aware of the size - this isn't a blade that every player can manage! It is fine for players who are close to 6' tall, and shorter players could use a "foot hold" very successfully!

34" x 0.042" Grand Concert Blade

This is a PHENOMENAL blade - but not for the faint of heart! It's the biggest, most powerful musical saw blade in the world - literally! The sound is HUGE and the sustain is amazing, because the physics are perfect....If you think that 0.042" steel is too thick and too stiff for a musical saw blade - think again! At the 34" playing length, this thickness is just right. It bends with surprising ease - as long as you use any of my saw cheats on the tip. This blade is 9" wide at the bass end! The pitch goes down - way down - to at least a low A - some players tell me that they can even squeeze out a low G or a forced F#, an octave and a fourth below middle C! Due to the extended length, players need to adopt a fairly vertical position when the saw is held in the lap. This blade is also a very good candidate for a "foot hold", with the handle resting on the floor. Personally, I prefer the lap hold - but I am 6' tall and have pretty good reach...Out of all of my blades, this Grand blade is definitely my best one - it plays and responds like a dream, and it can easily fill the largest auditorium with rich, full sound - with no amplification. The sound can also carry for blocks when you play outdoors! This is the ultimate blade - the one to use for concerts and big events. But it IS big!

Blade Finishes

Stradsaw blades are currently available in two different and distinctive finishes! You can choose exactly the finish you want!

Plain Steel, Polished: The classic musical saw blade finish. I grind the metal down through twelve grits of abrasive, until it has a fine polish, just shy of mirror! The surface will be easily scratched and is prone to rust, so I recommend the frequent use of "Renaissance Wax," which does a great job of protecting and preserving your finish!
Natural Blue-Tempered Finish, Polished: This is the surface that my spring-tempered carbon steel comes with - straight from the foundry! It is not always possible to keep the deep blue surface unblemished, as I cut and grind the blade to shape! A blued blade looks very attractive, especially against the colorful hardwood handles! But it is still rust-prone, and it must be given the same care as plain polished steel. If the blue-tempered surface eventually gets excessively scratched with wear and tear, it can be resurfaced down to the plain steel.

Musical Saw Shop