A Sawzall looks like a robotic arm—or at least, forearm. A slender blade is attached to a bulky body. A Sawzall does pretty much what its name promises: saws everything—wood, metal, even concrete if you have the correct blade. It is crude, but incisive.

What makes the Sawzall different from a table saw, circular saw, and chain saw—indeed, what makes it neoclassic—is that it is the only mobile mechanical adaptation of the crosscut motion. The crosscut technique, in its most pedestrian manifestation, is that of the standard handsaw—a basic drawing back and forth motion that has been used from the time Vikings built their warships up until today, when Boy Scouts cut lengths of wood for birdhouses. The more romantic image of a crosscutting saw is of a two-man lumberjack team ripping a long blade back and forth, a handle at each end.

—Phil Busse