Knew Concepts Testimonials

I have used Jewelers Saws since 1968, when I made my first Sterling Silver casting, “lost wax method.” I took a VERY SMALL (Cigar Box) Of hand tools to TayNinh, RVN, in 1969, as I had by that time, already TUTORED jewelery making, in the U.S. ARMY Special Services Arts & Crafts shops, @ TWO Forts I was stationed at.

So, I want to PRAISE your company, for Creating such an awesome Jewelers Saw, even though ALL I Bought was two dozen Saw Blades! I have used Herkules blades before, but they are extremely difficult to find.

I also enjoyed the two included Imperial & Metric dimension charts. I took the liberty, to photo enlarge them, as my 72 Y/O Eyes no longer work at the levels they used to (1970+ I could see the Difference of 100th an inch, and could FILE to size).

Thank you for my First order, ARRIVED EARLY, and beyond my EXPECTATIONS.

Philip Jaster,
The Great Pacific NorthWET, Oregon Division

Hi Brian,

I wanted to let you know I got the part a couple days ago, and fit it to the saw today. I'm back in business and thrilled! And now I can not only tell people how much I love the saw, but how great your customer service is as well!

Thank you again for your prompt responses and for standing behind your product. These days, that seems pretty rare, so it's honestly very refreshing! I will definitely do business with Knew Concepts in the future.

Sincerely,

Lauri Lundie
Jewelery Artist

Thanks very much! In this day and age of soul-less Internet behemoths, "big box" stores wherein no one knows anything or where anything is, and indifferent manufacturers who make things using the cheapest labor and flimsiest materials, your company - and you - are a breath of fresh air. Even for a tiny component for a customer a couple of thousand miles away, you took the time to deliver outstanding customer service.

David Katz

These saws are utterly incredible looking! the Precision Power Saw... the Titanium Saw... the Precision Saw Guide... Wow!

If I ever get back into doing inlay, I know where I’m going to spend some dough. To me this is like getting a really good, expensive hammer if you’re doing a lot of carpentry. An amateur would not think that spending well over $100.00 bucks on a hammer makes any sense. Ask a good framing carpenter, though, what his or her arms are worth. It’s about time and comfort, and if you’re saving time (and blades) and you’re more comfortable, you’ll do better work.

Well worth it.

Kekani
Kapolei, Hawaii
Quoted from Ukulele Underground Forum (2008).

I just received my saw with lever tension today. Popped a few blades at first (new blade type, too), but got the tension right and did a little sawing on some scrap silver.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that this saw frame is a MIRACLE! I’ve never had so much control. It’s light, it’s balanced, the handle is the right size (nice and thick for a good grip), the tension with a little work can be set perfectly. It’s amazing! I’d love to have a Titanium version, but for my purposes, this frame is perfect.

This saw frame is a superb tool! Worth every penny!

Steve

A friend gave me three titanium soldering strips for Christmas. I watched the video and made three clamp/clips. I have used them every day to do complicated soldering projects I couldn't have ever accomplished before. These clips have so many uses! I LOVE this new tool and would recommend it to everyone who solders.

Natasha
Jewelery Artist

Hi there! I live in South Africa, but on a recent trip home to the UK, I purchased one of your saw frames, and its changed my life! I have now seen your new bench pin design. I love all your products!

Naomi Smart
Jewelery

Thank you Brian, again I can emphasize enough how much I appreciate your help and support. It is truly impressive.

In general I think companies in the woodworking market have missed the memo on customer service. When Amazon has better CS than a small business serving a niche market we have to worry. You guys are truly the exception.

Thank you again. I really appreciate all you have done.

Anthony
Woodworker

Thank you again for the exceptional customer service. This is exactly why I try to by US made products is not always the build quality but the support after the sale. I am willing to pay for that. I too am in a customer service centric industry and can appreciate the effort and detail you put into your customer engagements.

Michael
Woodworking Artist

Thank you so much for making such excellent tools. Your saws have allowed me to develop the skill to work for myself. I’ve attached pictures of pendants and die cut coins made with your Knew Concepts Mk.III 5" Hand Saw . You are a world-changer!

David Sparks
Saw Artist

OK, I am giving you follow up. I received my 3" Titanium Birdcage Hand Saw with Lever Tension and Swivel Blade Clamps. This saw is unfair to the other saws available on the market. It is simply amazing to use. The accuracy you get is beyond my skill level out of the box. A joy to use.

Thanks!

Joe Howe
Woodworker

The Knew Concept Saw, designed by Lee Marshall, added a new dimension to my work. Now I dream about what is possible with intricate sawing. This tool provides total control and better finish than my hand sawing technique, all along with a most poetic machine sound. I liked it so much after months of usage, I just bought another one for a different location in the studio.

Daniel Brush
Internationally Acclaimed Goldsmith

I came across the Knew saws a couple of years ago at woodworking show in Newport, Kentucky. Lee had only single table with two saws, some brochures and a demo frame that he would challenge people to flex. I thought I got a good deal when I bought the common German made adjustable version for about $10 but when I tried the Knew Concepts saw, I knew (no pun intended) the German one would never again see the light of day. Honestly, I can’t tell you where it’s at right now.

The Knew Concepts saw is light as a feather and very well balanced. Blade changes are a snap. At the time Lee didn’t offer a titanium one in the size I wanted so I ordered the aluminum version. This isn’t your average pop-can aluminum either, it’s the high dollar aerospace stuff.

So if you’re tired of cutting inlay with one of those heavy steel jobs, try a Knew. You won’t be sorry.

Joe Mendel
Quoted from Mandolin Cafe forum (2011)

First of all, Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to try this saw out. I got a pizza box too!

In the package was the 5" Titanium Birdcage Hand Saw with Lever Tension and Swivel Blade Clamps (already set it to 45 degrees left for me, being a lefty). Also enclosed was the standard 0 or 90 degree blade holder. This version also has the quick release, tension lever. Also included was an instruction sheet and a brochure from Knew Concepts.

My first impressions were, “Man, this is light, and stiff!” The titanium frame, combined with the tension lever makes getting the right tension on the blade a breeze, I’ve never had these blades so well tensioned on a fretsaw before. Usually the frame starts bending in before the blade can become tight. Not with this saw! I’m looking forward to putting the saw through it’s paces, and cutting some dovetails.

Again, Thank you very much!

Okami

My “Knew Toy”

I have been contemplating this purchase for quite some time. I finally broke down and made it and boy am I glad I did. Sawing is my least favorite part of metalsmithing I know some metalsmiths love it but I don’t. Anything that would make that particular part easier would be my friend for life meet my knew best friend, the Knew Concepts Jewelers Saw.

This saw is everything I have read about it’s lightweight (very lightweight), the blades are a breeze to change (no more bruised sternums), and it’s red (my favorite color) what could be better than that. It may seem a little pricey to some but I believe it’s worth every penny. When I purchased my first saw, I knew very little about what I was doing. I purchased the Knew Concepts Mk.III 3" Hand Saw, and since I usually buy my silver in 3 x 6 pieces, it never really cleared the 3" side. I was always stopping and starting which is a bummer.

This time around, I purchased the Knew Concepts Mk.III 5" Hand Saw for deeper depth and it’s great! No stopping and starting with this one.

Try it, I think you might like it!

Sandi
Sassy Glass Designs

I bought the Knew Concepts Mk.III 3" Hand Saw at Otto Frei a couple weeks ago. I just wanted to say that after spending some quality time with it sawing metals and plastic and wood and various resins with lots of different blades, my calm, well-reasoned, and adult reaction is that I am madly and passionately in love with anyone and everyone involved with the design, production, and testing of this tool. I even love the guys who made the plastic bag it was wrapped in.

I am one of those guys who likes really really good tools and who spends endless hours hunting them from professional suppliers of a few dozen fields. And even then, I put in anywhere from a couple hours to a couple days improving said tools until the accuracy and smoothness of their function is well beyond what would be needed for any conceivable, or for that matter sane, use.

All I did with this frame was sand the handle a bit. It’s very very nearly a perfect tool: outstanding design, simple, clean, and elegant, and extremely well made. It does not do what it is designed to do, it does what it was designed to do beautifully so the only limitation to what you accomplish is your own skill. It’s such a pleasure to use that you have a stupid happy grin on your face that leads to the wife suspiciously asking what you are thinking about.

That’s right, you’ve designed a tool that’s so good it will lead to a measurable uptick in the divorce rate. I hope you can sleep at night.

Jay Thompson
Fancy hobbyist working in about every material known to man.

This weekend (just a day or two ago), I ordered a Knew Concepts Mk.III 5" Hand Saw with Lever Tension. I was stunned when it arrived today! Your customer service is superb! The saw is incredible... the lightness and balance are perfect for me. I have arthritis and I know that this saw will not fatigue or stress my hand despite how long I work with it. I’m truly impressed with it so far and look forward to using it for many projects.

Thank you again and have a blessed day.

Valerie Gossert
Jeweler

I like this new saw frame so much that I have been using it even when I am not making a die. The angle of the handle is comfortable, and the blade-tightening mechanism is much nicer than pressing a saw frame between my chest bone and bench while tightening a blade. I think that the saw frame has potential for appealing to all jewelers—whether they have need of the blanking die capability or not. As with many inspirations, this tool is brilliant in its elegant simplicity.

Cynthia Eid
Cynthia Eid Designs

These saws are utterly incredible looking! the Precision Power Saw... the Titanium Saw... the Precision Saw Guide... Wow!

If I ever get back into doing inlay, I know where I’m going to spend some dough. To me this is like getting a really good, expensive hammer if you’re doing a lot of carpentry. An amateur would not think that spending well over $100.00 bucks on a hammer makes any sense. Ask a good framing carpenter, though, what his or her arms are worth. It’s about time and comfort, and if you’re saving time (and blades) and you’re more comfortable, you’ll do better work.

Well worth it.

Kekani
Kapolei, Hawaii
Quoted from Ukulele Underground Forum (2008).

I cannot say enough good about the Knew Concepts Knew Concepts Mk.III 5" Hand Saw that you make. I use it too cut brass and copper sheets that are about 1/16" thick. I had bought a “German saw” from a jewelers supply house and just could not keep the blades from breaking. I have broke some blades using the Knew Concepts saw but it was my fault as I was doing a corner and just did not work it properly. I was actually ready to give up on the project thinking I would never be able to do the cutting with the “German saw”. You saved the project!

Thanks again!

Marlowe Rames

I would rather have a new tool than a new outfit and I love getting a new outfit. But I also would rather have one quality tool than 10 mediocre ones and yours are quality. I knew that when I held the saw. I have read several good stories about you on the forum and heard you mentioned fondly from others and now I am beginning to understand why.

Lona Northener

Having just received my Knew Concept saw for Christmas, I can definitely recommend them. My lines are sawn straighter and cleaner with no broken blades. I have lent it to some colleagues to try at a class I attend, and they are all converted and are placing orders, although in the UK they are more expensive. They may cost more initially, but the saving in saw blades, time cleaning up and less wasted metal more than makes up for this.

Hilary Sinclair
www.HilarySinclair.com

I am just a beginner but I got so discouraged that I just hated my $12 jewelers saw. I hated sawing/piercing and would avoid it at all costs if I possibly could. I would break blades left and right. I love the delicate detail that you get with piercing but I would just get frustrated.

I received a gift certificate at Rio and knew, no pun intended, exactly what I was going to buy. The 3" Knew Concept Titanium Frame is the best tool I have purchased in a long time! I have just started piercing images into my work. I still need a lot of practice piercing but I do not get as frustrated. Piercing at a 45 degree angle does make it easier to see where you are going as long as you let the blade do the work. Inserting the blade into starting holes in the pattern and adjusting to the perfect “ping” is also so much easier and less painful with the Knew frame. The frame also makes it easier to file some of the rough patches due to my inexperience. I really only had to use a little sandpaper to smooth my starting points.Using a smaller drill bit should help make the starting point look less obvious. I use Rio Laser Gold Blades usually in sizes 2/0 and 3/0 since most of the sheet I use is between 26gauge and 22gauge. I have never used any other saw blade so I have nothing to compare them with. Perhaps I should try some different saw blades as well.

Monica
www.DeliasDelightJewelry.com

I’ve made the decision to do more of my own inlay work, something I’ve always found awkward and frustrating. I’ve avoided it as long as possible, but finally decided to dive in. The saws I’ve used in the past are the standard Stew Mac type, they are OK, but recently on the ukulele underground forum this saw from Knew Concepts was suggested.

What a difference!! It’s like a generic mandolin compared to a fine custom one, both can make music, but one makes making music a joy. It’s as big a difference as cutting with a dull bandsaw blade and then putting on a really good quality, brand new blade.

I haven’t done any for real inlay with it yet, just practice cuts, but it feels so much better while cutting, it’s actually enjoyable. As one of the guys over there said, “a good tool hurts when you buy it, but a bad tool hurts every time you use it.”

Quoted from
Mandolin Cafe Forum.

I just wanted to thank you for creating the Titanium Birdcage Fret Saw. I bought it a couple months ago and it’s the best Jewelry saw on the planet!

Jason Murray
Jewelery Artist

I love my hand tools, both vintage and new. Over the past 15 years I have accumulated a large “working set”. Now that modern makers are producing quality tools, there is a large selection of high end products to choose from. So I thought that I would start offering a review of some of the tools that I own and work with everyday.

For years I removed the waste on dovetailed boards with a coping saw. When I decided to try a DT saw with a thin plate (.15), I found that my coping saw blade wouldn’t fit in the kerf. Time to buy a fret saw. The first one I got was a cheap saw from Woodcraft that wouldn’t hold its angle settings for more than a few strokes. I took it back and the manager recommended the Knew Concepts saw. He let me try one in the store on some poplar and I was hooked.

It is made from light weight aluminum and is feather light. A bonus when chopping dovetailed for long periods. It has the nicest blade tensioning system I have ever seen. Best of all, the angle setting mechanism is solid and keeps the blade in place no matter how much I tried to move it in a cut. It uses scroll saw blades and changing them out is a breeze. The price... $95. Now wait a minute before you call me crazy. The saw is well made and almost indescribable. It is the last fret saw I will ever buy. I want my tools to be high quality and to last forever. This saw meets those standards.

So if you are in the market for a fret saw, check out the Knew Concepts. It’s worth every penny.

Adam Welker
Quoted from The Patriot Woodworker Hand Tool Forum

I am a relatively new jeweler but even with my lack of years at the bench experience, I know what a fabulous tool this saw is.

There’s no “recoil” when I saw now so my lines are smooth and precise and so much easier to file and sand. I’ve tried it on every metal I work with - and I didn’t even break or bind the blade on 16 gauge nickel. That is some saw!

Then I changed out the blade from the one the saw came with and was so excited that I went running to my husband to say, "“Look! Look how easy this is!” Your saw is one of the very few items I have ever bought that exceeded my expectations and truly delighted me to use. I have carpel tunnel syndrome from years of typing, and even after sawing nickel and brass, my wrist does not hurt. And for silver... it’s a dream!

I’m taking the saw to my metalsmithing class and letting everyone try it. I hope it gives you a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction to know that you’ve helped make so many people better craftsmen and artists by creating this great tool. I’ve never written a “fan letter” for a tool before, but your saw deserves it.

Thank you!

Cynthia Lester

Your products kick ass!!!

Jim Rocchio
Jewelery Artist

A good tool solves problems without causing any. The Knew Concepts fret saw is certainly a good tool.

Chris Wong
Flair Woodworks Sculptural Woodwork