A precise 180mm ryoba at its lowest price, but not for rough work

Yes — the Temple Tool Co. Japanese Pull Saw is worth buying if you want a compact, accurate ryoba for fine joinery, and at £33.50 it is currently at its all-time lowest price. With a 4.5/5 rating from 65 reviews and 50+ bought last month, it has enough buyer confidence to justify serious attention, especially for dovetails, tenons, trimming boards to length, and controlled rip or crosscut work.

First impressions

The first thing that stands out is the format: a 180mm double-edge ryoba, which is smaller than many full-size Japanese saws. That shorter blade matters. On delicate work, especially in softwoods, hardwoods, or small section stock, the reduced length gives better control and makes it easier to start a cut without wandering off the line. The wingnut wood handle and brass fittings also give it a more traditional, well-finished feel than the plastic-handled saws that dominate the budget end of the market.

What does the double-edge blade actually give you?

This saw uses rip teeth on one side and crosscut teeth on the other. In practical terms, that means one tool can handle two very different jobs: rip teeth for cutting along the grain, and crosscut teeth for cutting across it. For joinery, that is useful when you are breaking down stock, trimming shoulders, or sizing boards to width and length without constantly swapping tools. The narrow-kerf blade is designed for pull-stroke cutting, so the saw does the work in tension rather than compression. That usually means less blade flex and a cleaner cut with less effort, provided you let the saw track rather than forcing it.

How does it perform on joinery?

For dovetails, tenons, and general bench work, the 180mm size is the real selling point. It should feel nimble in hand and easier to place accurately than a larger ryoba when working close to a line. Temple Tool says it is suited to medium to large joinery as well as resizing stock, which suggests it is not just a delicate detail saw. The SK85 Japanese steel is another strong point: this grade is known for holding a sharp edge well, which is exactly what you want in a pull saw where tooth geometry and sharpness are central to performance.

That said, the compact format is also the main limitation. A 180mm blade is excellent for control, but if you regularly cut thick hardwood boards or want a saw for aggressive breakdown work, a larger ryoba will feel faster and less cramped. This is a precision tool first, not a brute-force one.

Is the build quality good?

The materials look properly chosen: dark brown wingnut wood handle, brass fittings, and Japanese SK85 steel. The listing also states it is made in Japan, handcrafted in Nagata, a historic tool-making city with over 100 years of craft heritage. That does not automatically guarantee perfection, but it does place this saw above many generic imported alternatives that rely on vague branding and softer steel.

The main warning is that the listing copy is truncated, so you do not get a full technical spec sheet on tooth count, blade thickness, or replacement blade availability. For a hand tool buyer, that missing detail matters. If you like to know exactly how aggressive a saw will be before you buy, this product asks for a little trust.

Is it good value for money?

At £33.50, value is strong, mainly because the price is currently at the lowest ever recorded and sits exactly at the average price as well. That means you are not paying a premium to get it now. Against competitors, the Temple Tool saw is priced below the EZARC 6pc Wood Chisel Set at £42.98, the VonHaus 10pc Chisel Set at £34.99, and the Presch 6pc set at £44.99 — though those are chisels, not saws, so the comparison is more about where this sits in the broader woodworking-tool budget.

For a hobbyist building a proper hand-tool kit, £33.50 is a fair ask for a Japanese-made ryoba with premium materials. If you mainly want one saw for accurate work on the bench, the price makes sense. If you want a rough-site saw or a general demolition tool, it does not.

How do buyers seem to feel about it?

The 4.5/5 score from 65 reviews suggests broadly positive sentiment, with roughly 80-85% of buyers likely satisfied and around 15-20% disappointed or mixed based on the rating profile. The fact that it is still selling 50+ units a month supports that reading: people are buying it for a specific purpose and mostly getting what they expected.

The likely praise centres on sharpness, control, finish, and the usefulness of the two cutting edges. The likely complaints are the usual ones for Japanese pull saws: the blade can feel too delicate if you treat it like a Western saw, the short 180mm length may be limiting for larger stock, and some buyers may simply expect a more aggressive saw than a precision ryoba actually is.

Final assessment

If you want a compact, well-made ryoba for accurate joinery and stock sizing, this is a persuasive buy at £33.50. If you need speed on thick timber or prefer the feel of a heavier Western saw, look elsewhere.

How does it compare to alternatives?

Compared with budget Western saws, the Temple Tool saw offers finer control and a cleaner cut path, but it demands a lighter touch. Compared with cheaper generic Japanese saws, the combination of SK85 steel, Japanese manufacture, brass fittings, and a proper wingnut handle makes it feel more like a tool you keep than one you replace. The main trade-off is size: the 180mm blade improves precision, but it also narrows the saw’s comfort zone on larger jobs.