[sam]

I am looking for teeny, tiny saws like the ones that used to come in the Pumpkin Masters kits back in the middle 80's-90's. They were just slightly wider than a toothpick. Up until the original owners sold the company (back when the patterns were good), you could buy extras through the mail for a buck a piece. I bought several about 12 years ago, but they do break easily, and my stash is all but gone--I only have 1 left and it broke off the handle last year and is now in an xacto handle. I've bought coping blades and jeweler's saws, which are almost as small, but they bend, so I'm back to searching for those hard little micro saws. These saws are the BEST things in the world for intricate carvings, as some of you may remember if you were carving pumpkins way back when. Anyone out there know of a place I can find something similar?

[Zombie Pumpkins!]

Hmm, I'm not sure I remember what these look like, Sam. Any chance you can show us a photo of the blades you're talking about (maybe next to present day kit saws for size reference?)

[badgers]

I remember those saws. I had ordered a couple myself a few years back. I also had my saws break.

They looked exactly like the pumpkin masters saws only the blade was smaller and thinner, and that made them really flexible and easily bent or broke if not extremely careful.

I think they were only available through pumpkin masters, on an order form in the back of their pattern books (at least that's how I got mine).

[sam]

Yes they do break if you're not careful, but then you have to be careful anyway while carving small spaces. They all broke off at the handle eventually, but I just put the blades in an xacto knife handle and was able to get them to last through quite a few pumpkins. I ordered 9 of them (I'm kicking myself for not ordering a whole lot more!) in 1998, as you said, from an order form out of the back of a Pumpkin Masters pattern book. I have done 20-30 pumpkins a year since then, and I'm down to 1 saw left still in it's handle and a few broken-off blades which I put in the xacto handle. I'd sure love to find some more saw blades of that size. Carving addict that I am, my dwindling stash unnerves me!

[monstermash]

Have you tried DIY stores. You might be able to find a similar blade if not the exact one your after. Maybe a craft shop. Try looking online for tiny saw blades, i'm sure something will pop. Good luck!

[sam]

Thanks Monster Mash, that's a good idea.

[suzika]

I have one of those left and I let no one else use it. It is in my bag full of pumpkin saws, waiting for me to pull it out this weekend.

[Nightwatchman]

JP has a 'How To" on his site where he uses a scroll saw blade and an X-Acto knife handle to make a saw for fine detail cutting

[MIKECOZ8]

I had a bunch of these as well and the did break too --- when it broke right at the handle I would heat the blade under a flame for a minute or 2 and the put it back into the handle -- it melts its way in and when it cools it hold up rather well -- a bit shorter but you can get some extra life out of them

[Zombie Pumpkins!]

Are you talking about any of these?

[snow2alike]

The second one from the left is the one I suggest to people wanting to start carving artificial pumpkins. It is much much better that the short stubby one PM puts in their kits. I have only seen them at Michaels in a pkg of 3 for $2.99. Made by PM and packaged as "Artificial Pumpkin Carving Tools"
Then they can always reward themselves with the ZP pro carver after they get a few carves under their belt !

[GUS]

Sam, suck it in & get a ZP set, tough durable, spares available!

The only tears will be ones of joy!

[sam]

Ryan: it looks like the one in the middle, (thanks for the pics, I just moved and couldn't find my camera to post one). only the blade is even smaller. One good thing about them is, they are narrow all the way to the handle, so you can stick the whole saw through a small whole like an eye or a blood drop and it won't distort it when you get to the bottom of the blade like with keyhole saws that gradually get wider as you near the handle. A great thing is, the teeth are very fine and sharp so that you can saw the finest lines that are close together with a smoother motion and less chance of breaking through.

Snow2alike: I tried those artificial pumpkin saws. They're not bad but I had better luck with a sharp xacto knife. Even that was still kind of tough and I had to keep changing the blade because they get dull so fast, so yesterday I went to Michaels and picked up a woodburning knife which is basically an xacto that you plug in and it heats up. Wow! what a difference! It cuts through like butter. I was able to carve a foam pumpkin in about 1/3 of the time it took me to use the saws, and no foam-dust mess. You can go online and get a 40% off coupon and it will only cost around $10 bucks plus an additional $5 for 2 blades. One thing I learned right off the bat, you have to go at a slow steady pace while cutting, and it's best to practice first on a scrap piece of pumpkin. By the way--Michaels, has their foam pumpkins on sale for %50 off right now.

Gus: I probably will buy one of those nice ZP kits because they look like really good saws, and I do use bigger ones as well, but I still need my tiny ones!

Suzika: I know what you mean! When I have friends over carving with me, I snarl like Cujo if anyone gets near my last little saw! ha ha!

[sam]

OK--I just ordered a bunch of scroll saw blades from this website http://www.intarsia.com/SawBlades.html that look like they may be similar to what I'm looking for. They're less than 2 bucks for a dozen and only $3 shipping. I spoke with them on the phone and the nice lady said that the smallest ones are like the size of an eye of a needle. Hopefully they won't bend like coping saw blades. I ordered 3 different sizes. There are 3 kinds, and she said the "Tough Little Blades" seem pretty sturdy. I'll post how they work once I get them.

[sam]

I received the blades in the mail in only 2 days. I ordered #'s 3,8, and 12. The #12's are the best of them, the 3's and 8's bend. I cut the blade to about 2" long, and with a sharp point. I'll be able to get maybe 3 saws from each blade. I haven't carved a real pumpkin with it yet (will try it out today) but was able to cut some fine detail in a foam pumpkin, which was too small for my x-acto blade, with ease. My only problem is that it wiggles a little in the x-acto handle, and I have to keep tightening it. I thought maybe the handle was too old and bought another one, but am having the same problem with the new one. I tried putting a small piece of tape around the bottom of the blade before putting it in the handle, but that didn't work either. Anyone have any remedies for a wobbly saw blade?