Two Cherries 520-2200 Veneer Cutter

Purchased to make clean cuts of wood veneer, and it does the task well.

Worked well. Glad I bought it. Makes cutting veneer and edge banding easier.

Once you get it started. I was able to get a nearly flush cut on my veneer project with this saw. The point of connection with the handle and the blade can get in the way sometimes with longer cuts.

Veneer saws are difficult to obtain in Japan. So I searched in English. Why is it difficult to obtain in Japan? The reason is that many people give up on trying to stick veneers on furniture, doors, etc. on their own, but it's difficult. No one tries to find what tools they need. As a result, it is not sold in Japan. I am happy to get this veneer saw.

This is not what I call a first class piece of equipment. The blade is stamped steel and the teeth are marginal at best. Some craftsmen advise honing one edge of the teeth, which I did somewhat. I tried it and I get better results with a utility knife. Even the handle is somewhat cheesy.

I have not had a veneer cutter before but overall the fit and finish, especially on a supposedly German made tool, was disappointing. First, the blade was not flat, probably because the surface the blade was mounted against was not flat which caused the blade to have a slight curve to it Grinding the mounting plate on a flat stone seemed to help with that, though some of the problem was distortions in the blade made when the indentions that allow the mounting screws to be countersunk so that the blade can sit flat against a straight edge or fence were put into the blade. Also, the kerf of the saw is a little wide. I found a video on how to tune a veneer saw and was able to bevel the edge to achieve a finer cut. After some tuning, it works ok. For the price, I guess this is all expected but don't be fooled by an assumption of "German quality". It was about what I normally expect from cheap Chinese made tools.

I recently got into veneering and read a bunch of articles about how to do it correctly. This specific brand of veneer saw was recommended in many articles and for good reason. It cuts cleanly and leaves a smooth edge in just a few passes. Very sturdy construction. I expect to have this tool in my toolbox for many years.

In general all veneer saws need to be sharpened with a bevel, trust me it just works better. 99% of the saws out there are really the exact same thing so why pay more than this one. The blade is straight and has a tight fit to the handle. What could you need more?