After seeing how a good saw is supposed to work ( Florp dovetail) I got and tuned a Crown and a Spears and Jackson. One was rip and just needed a tune up, the other had "universal" teeth so I re-filed it to crosscut. Did a bit of re-shaping on the handles to fit my large paws. They work as a saw should. Cut strait, even, smooth or at least when they don't, I know it is me, not the saw. The universal teeth were actually not too bad. I think they are referred to as "tenon saw" size but could be "carcass". Either worked pretty well with just a quick stoning of the sides.
Sure, if you have the bucks for Veritas, Cosman, Lie-Neilson, Blue Spruce, Bad-Axe, etc. great. They don't actually cut any better than a moderate priced saw well tuned. That "well tuned" is why the big bucks.
For a bigger crosscut, there is the saw that was used in the guided miter boxes. Might be a bit unwieldy though. As I am so happy with my frame coping saw, makes me wonder about larger frame saws. Don't forget the small panel saws. 18 to 22 inches. Usually finer teeth than the bigger 26 inch saws.
As far as sharpening and tuning, to me that is half of knowing how to use a saw. Just like any other sharp edge. The finest chisel made is useless if you can't keep it sharp. Fortunately, even for a hobby-hack like me, neither is really that hard to learn!
FWIW, a 15 inch FatMax actually cuts pretty well, just the handle is at the wrong angle. $20.
Personally, I am looking for a larger one to cut deeper bridle joints. Rip of course. Maybe at the pic-nick I can score.
