Reward yourself with tools designed to last a lifetime.

Knew Concepts stands as a pinnacle in the realm of high-quality hand tools. Over time, their patented saws have garnered numerous innovation awards, with their titanium birdcage saw even earning recognition in a recent paper by a Cambridge University researcher focusing on innovative design.

As a dedicated American manufacturing company, Knew Concepts is unwavering in its commitment to delivering top-notch tools fueled by a passion for quality. Their relentless pursuit of excellence is evident in the accolades received, reflecting their continuous endeavor to craft the finest tools possible.

About

Knew Concepts began 10 years ago when Lee Marshall, the inventor of a line of small hydraulic presses for the art jewellery world (Bonny Doon Engineering) decided to retire.

That lasted about a week, then Lee was back in the workshop, taking the first serious new look at improving the centuries old design of jeweller’s saws. (or fret saws: they’re the same thing.)

At this beginning point, Brian Meek signed on with his old friend Lee for a few weeks to help out while job hunting. Brian designed some of our most distinctive products like the titanium Birdcage saws and the coping saws. The first production models rolled out of the Santa Cruz shop in early 2009, and it’s been a non-stop rollercoaster ride ever since. It truly has been a case of “building the better mousetrap”. Brian remained with Knew Concepts helping Lee create excellent US made products and eventually purchased the company after Lee passed away in June of 2017.

Over the years, their patented saws have won a number of innovation awards, and just recently the titanium birdcage saw was featured in a paper by a Cambridge University researcher on innovative design.

Knew Concepts is a small American manufacturing company, committed to bringing their passion for quality tools to customers, and to building the best tools we know how to make.

“The Knew Concepts saw is light as a feather and very well balanced. Blade changes are a snap. This isn’t your average pop-can aluminium either, it’s the high dollar aerospace stuff.”
— Joe Mendel

Fret Saws

  • 3" Mk.III Fret Saw With Lever Tension

    Designed for rapid, repetitive blade changes (when piercing for example). The tension does not change when re-setting the blade. Simply flip the lever forward to release tension, re-position and clamp the blade, and flip the lever to the rear, and you are sawing.

    • Weighs only 117.6 grams

    • Anodized aircraft grade aluminium

    • Made in the USA

  • 3″ Mk.III Fret Saw With Screw Tension

    The screw tension saw was the origin of the Knew Concepts Fret saw line. It is the economy model. It provides extremely precise blade tensioning simply by turning the knurled tension nut at the top of the frame.

    • Weighs only 115 grams

    • Anodized aircraft grade aluminium

    • Made in the USA

  • Titanium Birdcage Fret Saw

    The strongest, most rigid Fret Saw available on the market today! It’s spine is a welded titanium beam, the blade is tensioned with a Lever that can tension blades so tight they “ping” with notes never heard before, makes turns that are tighter than ever before, and the blade clamps lock at 45° left, 0°, 45° right.

    • Weighs only 171.5 grams

    • Made in the USA

  • 3″ MK.IV HEAVY DUTY FRET SAW WITH LEVER TENSION

    Designed to pull 50–60 pounds of tension on their blades, which makes it much stronger, and the blades vibrate less than our Mk3 saws. They are also thicker and slightly heavier, closer to the weight of a traditional saw, but still lighter. The saw is powder-coated red and is extremely scratch and damage resistant.

    The Cam Lever Tension is designed for rapid, repetitive blade changes (when piercing for example). The tension does not change when re-setting the blade. Simply flip the lever forward to release tension, re-position and clamp the blade, and flip the lever to the rear, and you are sawing.

    • Weighs only 179.1 grams

    • Powder-coated aircraft grade aluminium

    • Made in the USA

Workbench Accessories

  • Dovetail Mounting Plate

    The Knew Concepts Dovetail Mounting Plate, proudly made in the USA, is a versatile slide and lock dovetail mounting plate. It serves as a convenient solution for adding an extra location for your dovetail mount accessories or creating a permanent spot for your Precision Sawguide or Bench Pin.

    Dimensions

    • Length (Widest Point): 8.5cm

    • Width: 5cm

    • Depth: 1cm

  • Tilting Dovetail Adapter

    Introducing the Knew Concepts Tilting Dovetail Adapter. An accessory to any dovetail system which has been bench pins which is designed to be installed between your dovetail tools and the anchor point. Allowing you to tilt any dovetail system tool up to 45 degrees to either side.

    The primary uses for the Tilting Dovetail Adapter

    It allows you to tilt your bench pin to the side so that you can either file more comfortably See image, or look past the frame of your saw when sawing under a microscope.

    Another Use Is For Hand Cutting Blanking Dies

    Blanking dies are best cut with a guided saw frame like our Precision Saw Guide, but for small quantities of dies for limited numbers of parts, hand cut dies can provide satisfactory service.

    Adjustable Tilt Angle

    The Tilting Adapter comes with a setting knob to quickly adjust the tilt angle to 6 pre-set angles appropriate to a variety of die and blade combinations. Without using the pre-setting knob, it will adjust to any angle up to 45 degrees either way.

    Tilts Any Dovetail System Tool

    The advantage to it for either use is that you can use any dovetail system bench pin, such as our Stainless Steel Bench Pin See image, or any of GRS’ wooden or aluminium bench pins. The Tilting Adapter will allow you to tilt any GRS dovetail system tool, for any reason you like.

    https://www.knewconcepts.com/downloads/Tilting-Dovetail-Adapter-instructions.pdf

  • Stainless Steel Bench Pin

    Made in the USA of 3/16" solid stainless steel, it will not bounce or shimmy as you cut, yet is thin enough not to interfere with your stroke. The pin is designed to fit onto a standard dovetail mount, or onto one of our ‘clamp anywhere’ dovetail mounted clamps, so you can take them anywhere you like.

    Designed from the beginning with the bench jeweller in mind, the pin has these extra “goodies” built in:

    • On the front, there is an adjustable delrin ring hook See image, specifically set up to make cutting rings for sizing a breeze. It can be either right or left handed, and adjusted to any angle you find comfortable.

    • The pin is solid stainless steel, rather than aluminium, so there is no risk of contaminating your sweeps or files with aluminium

    • It comes with a brass guide fence See image, to give you a reference for angles in 15 degree increments from 0 to 60 degrees. Very handy for trimming ring stock for sizing, or filing against the side of the pin to get angles nailed.

    • Also comes with a set of vertical pins See image that can be screwed through two of the holes in the plate, to serve as a guide for drilling perfectly perpendicular holes, quickly. It will help hold your flex shaft handpiece square to the face of the pin.

  • Dovetail Bench Clamp With Anvil

    The anvil version of our dovetail bench clamp has a 2" hardened steel disk that allows you to strike it—and your metal work, with hammers or other tools.

  • Dovetail Bench Clamp With Magnet

    The magnet version of our dovetail bench clamp has a high strength magnet to hold files and burrs where they’re easy to reach, inch and metric rulers, and a pair of circle dividing guides.

    • Made in the USA

    https://www.knewconcepts.com/downloads/KC-Dovetail-Clamp-Web-v2.pdf