0° Rake vs Relaxed Rake: Which Feeds Cleaner?

Scope & Thesis

This article compares two tooth-face angles on hand saws: 0° rake (tooth face square to the plate) and relaxed rake (tooth face leaned back roughly 8–15°).

The context is everyday shop work for intermediate woodworkers using panel saws and backsaws on dry stock across common TPI ranges.

“Feeds cleaner” means the saw starts without grabbing, tracks the line under control, runs with a steady stroke and sound, and leaves tidy surfaces and exit fibers.

There’s no universal winner. Clean feed rides on wood species and grain, tooth size and set, sharpness, saw stiffness and hang, and your stroke.

In straight-grained softwoods, a tuned 0° rake can feel crisp and clean. In hard, brittle, or tricky grain, a relaxed rake often feeds cleaner by calming the bite and protecting exit fibers.

If you alternate woods or value predictable starts, the relaxed profile offers a wider safe zone. If you’re chasing speed in friendly stock, 0° can shine—when setup is right.

Criteria That Matter

In the shop you don’t carry gauges; you read signals:

• Start behavior: slips in smoothly or tries to grab on the first strokes.
• Stroke feel: steady hum vs chatter; no surge–stall.
• Tracking: holds the pencil/knife line without snaking when stance or workholding aren’t perfect.
• Sound: soft “shh” indicates even cutting; harsh rasp hints at overbite or set issues.
• Waste form: dust vs short chips; chips show bite, but excessive chunking suggests aggression.
• Surface: even tooth marks vs torn fibers along the cheeks or shoulders.
• Exit edge: clean arris vs fuzz or splintering, especially in crosscuts.
• Binding: kerf stays open or pinches; sensitive plates telegraph this quickly.
• Heat/resin: cool plate and free slide vs gumming in resinous softwoods.
• Setup tolerance: whether small set or height errors turn into chatter.
• Dullness tolerance: how civil the feed stays as teeth lose a fresh edge.

When these signals go wrong, fix the confounders first: check set uniformity, joint and file to level tooth heights, wax the plate, improve workholding, and lighten your grip.

Only then judge rake—because those variables can outweigh it.

Head-to-Head

Criterion	0° Rake	Relaxed Rake (8–15°)	Preference
Start control	Can grab on first strokes	Easy, controlled starts	Precise layout lines, delicate entries → Relaxed
Self-feeding	Aggressive; pulls into cut	Moderate; you set pace	Long rips where pace control matters → Relaxed
Tracking	Tracks well with true stroke	Forgives minor wobbles	Awkward stance or new pattern → Relaxed
Softwood rip surface	Very clean if sharp and set is light	Clean but slightly slower	Straight-grain pine/fir → 0°
Hardwood rip surface	Risk of chatter/tear in brittle grain	Calmer, cleaner feed	White oak, hard maple → Relaxed
Crosscut exits	Can lift exit fibers	Kinder to exits	Show faces, thin stock → Relaxed
Effort/fatigue	Fast when dialed; can surge	Even effort; fewer stalls	Long sessions, mixed woods → Relaxed
Binding sensitivity	Higher if set is tight/uneven	Lower; eased bite	Twisty boards or imperfect set → Relaxed
Speed vs control	Highest speed in friendly stock	Best control across woods	Rough breakdown → 0°; joinery → Relaxed
Dullness tolerance	Low; gets grabby as it dulls	Higher; stays civil longer	Infrequent sharpening → Relaxed
Learning curve	Demands confident stroke	More forgiving	Building consistency → Relaxed
Feedback/sound	Sharper, raspy bite	Smoother “shh”	Prefer calm feedback → Relaxed

If you sharpen your own saws, note that a small change in rake angle makes a big change in start feel.

Before you refile a plate to switch sides, try adjusting set, refreshing the edge, and cleaning the plate; many “rake problems” disappear there.

Use Cases

• 8/4 pine rip to width — choose 0°: bites promptly, tracks fast in straight soft grain; keep set light to avoid washboarding.
• 4/4 white oak rip for panels — choose relaxed: tames brittle fibers and reduces chatter; steady pace aids straightness through dense stock.
• Tenon cheeks in hardwood — choose relaxed: controlled entries and line-holding with fewer restarts; cleaner shoulders at the exit.
• Dovetail tails in hard maple (backsaw) — choose relaxed: easy starts right on the gauge line; less risk of jumping off the mark.
• Breaking down SPF studs — choose 0°: quick, clean-enough feed; speed outweighs marginal control benefits.
• Crosscut thin cherry show parts — choose relaxed: protects the exit arris; pair with a fine TPI and sharp fleam.
• Green or resinous softwood — choose relaxed: resists grab when kerf gets sticky; wax the plate to keep glide.
• Hand resawing (frame/long rip) — choose relaxed: steadier pace, less wander over deep strokes.

If your work swings between these, a moderately relaxed rake offers the fewest surprises while you refine set and tooth height.

Pitfalls & Myths

• “0° always feeds cleaner.” Only when sharp, lightly and evenly set, and in friendly grain. Slip in any variable and it turns grabby.
• “Relaxed rake is just for beginners.” It’s for control, tricky grain, and calm exits—useful at any skill level.
• Set trumps rake. Uneven or heavy set causes chatter, drift, and torn fibers regardless of rake.
• Tooth height matters. A few high teeth create the stutter many blame on rake. Joint lightly and refile.
• Don’t force the stroke. White-knuckle pushes amplify aggression and wobble with either profile.
• Mind fleam and TPI. For crosscuts, fleam dominates surface quality; for rips, coarse teeth plus 0° can be too hungry unless set is restrained.

When results degrade, service the saw first; only after it behaves predictably should you tweak rake to shift start feel and bite.

Decision Checklist

• Wood: soft/straight → lean 0°; hard/brittle/figured → relaxed.
• Task: rough breakdown → 0°; joinery/finish-critical → relaxed.
• TPI: coarse teeth + 0° can grab; coarse + relaxed stays civil.
• Set: heavy/uneven? run relaxed until you reset.
• Sharpness: freshly jointed and filed? 0° can shine.
• Workholding: shaky vise or stance? relaxed forgives.
• Personal rhythm today: need speed in softwood? 0°. Need control across mixed stock? relaxed.

Pick the box that matches your situation; if multiple flags point to control and consistency, choose relaxed.

Bottom Line

Both profiles can feed clean.

• 0° rake gives a crisp, fast feel in straight-grained softwoods when the saw is sharp and the set is light and even.
• Relaxed rake feeds cleaner across more situations—hard/brittle woods, delicate starts, variable setups—by moderating bite and protecting exits.

Confounders—set, sharpness, TPI, support, and stroke—can outweigh rake. If you keep one all-rounder, file a moderately relaxed rake and focus on uniform set and tooth height.

If you keep two saws, reserve 0° for softwood ripping and use relaxed for hardwoods and joinery. That pairing covers most benches with fewer surprises and more clean cuts.