The Complete Handbook of Pruning Saws
Selection, Use, and Maintenance for Professionals and Serious Enthusiasts
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
From tooth geometry to field technique: the complete, practical reference for anyone who makes a living or a serious hobby of cutting wood.
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About this book
A pruning saw is a precision cutting instrument, not a generic blade on a stick. The difference between a clean, fast cut that seals quickly and a ragged tear that invites disease often comes down to the saw's tooth design, the rake angle, and how you position the cut itself. This handbook decodes all of it, starting with the physics of cutting green wood and moving methodically through saw types (folding, fixed-blade, pole, curved, straight), the specifications that genuinely matter (teeth per inch, blade length, kerf width, steel grade), and how to match a saw to a specific task like deadwooding an oak, pruning a fruit tree, or clearing storm damage from a high limb.
The middle section is purely practical. You'll learn correct stance, grip, and cutting technique for both push and pull strokes — including how to avoid binding, how to undercut a heavy branch to prevent bark tearing, and how to handle a saw that sticks in a kerf. Then we move to maintenance: sharpening with a file, cleaning pitch, storing blades, and diagnosing common problems like a bent blade, a loose hinge, or a stripped handle.
The book closes with a serious look at the market. We cover how major brands position their lines from budget to premium, and the concrete business models available: repair and sharpening services, selective reselling, private labeling a custom saw, and rental fleets for storm work. Every chapter is grounded in the physical reality of the tool, with examples drawn from orchards, urban landscapes, and wilderness sites.
Reader Reviews
Jennifer Lewis
★★★★★I bought this before overhauling my ground crew's equipment shed, and I'm glad I did. The chapter on understanding the actual cutting action was worth the price alone — I finally know why my guys were fighting one brand of blade while another went through the same wood without a complaint. The maintenance section is now my go-to for training new hires. It's a real reference, not a pamphlet.
Michelle Harris
★★★★★Solid, comprehensive book that clearly knows its subject. The explanations of tooth geometry and blade steel are exactly the kind of detail I wanted, and the troubleshooting chapter is smart. My only gripe is that the chapter on business opportunities felt a little thin compared to the rest — I was hoping for more detailed numbers on pricing a sharpening service. Still, the core content is exactly what I was looking for.
Joshua Hill
★★★★★Finally, a book that treats pruning saws with the seriousness they deserve. I'm an arborist and I've worn out more saws than I can count, but this is the first time I've seen the whole system explained so clearly — from why a curved blade is better for undercuts to the correct way to file a tooth. The three-cut method alone has improved my speed on big removals. This is staying in my truck.
Jacob Flores
★★★★★As a hobbyist with 30 fruit trees, I was nervous about pruning without damaging them. This book gave me the confidence to make cleaner cuts and to choose a saw that actually fits my hand and the branches I'm dealing with. The chapter on how the saw works changed my technique, and my trees have looked better this spring than they have in years. I've already recommended it to two neighbors.