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In modern hardware store vernacular a 'bow saw' is a metal-framed saw in the shape of a bow with a coarse wide blade. This type of saw is also known as a 'swede saw'. It is a rough tool used for cutting tree trunks and the like. The traditional meaning of a 'bow saw' is a woodworking tool used for straight or curved cuts. In European vocabulary it is synonymous with frame saw. In English and American vocabulary it denotes a toothed blade suspended between two long narrow handles called "cheeks" that are supported and separated by a narrow stretcher in the center of the handles, making an H shape. In this context it is known also as a buck saw and has a wide blade for roughly cutting wood. A finer version of the saw uses a narrow blade (1/4" or less) with handles that allow you to hold the saw and rotate the blade. In this context it is also known as a turning saw. The blade is kept in tension with a turnbuckle or a twisted cord that is attached to the opposite ends of the handles. If a cord is used, the cord is twisted with a toggle attached to one loop of the cord, adding tension. The toggle hits the center rod, which keeps the cord from untwisting.

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★ BugBear's bowsaw plans

★ A bowsaw plan from a 1920's issue of "The Woodworker"