Tooth Set
Definition
The lateral bending of saw teeth alternately left and right of the blade body, producing a kerf wider than the blade itself; raker-set and alternating-set are the two main configurations.
- Definition
- Alternating lateral bending of saw teeth
- Effect
- Kerf wider than the blade body
- Main configurations
- Raker-set and alternating-set
- Context
- Saw-mark analysis in sharp-force trauma
Common questions
Why does tooth set matter when examining a saw mark on bone?+
The set pattern determines the width and internal striation pattern of the kerf, so measuring kerf width and the striae left by individual teeth can narrow the saw type and, in some cases, help exclude or include a specific saw as the tool used.
What is the practical difference between raker-set and alternating-set blades?+
Alternating-set teeth bend left and right in strict sequence, while a raker-set pattern intersperses straight, unset raker teeth between the bent cutting teeth to clear debris from the kerf. Each configuration leaves a distinguishable striation signature in the cut surface.
Can tooth set alone identify the specific saw used in a dismemberment case?+
Tooth set narrows the saw to a class, such as type and approximate tooth spacing, but individualising the cut to one specific saw requires comparing false-start marks or striation details against test cuts made with the recovered saw.
Related terms
- Breakaway Spur
- A chip or spur of cortical bone on the exit face of a saw kerf, produced when the final tooth exits the...
- Class Characteristics
- Features deliberately or systematically imparted to a group of items by design or manufacture, such as the calibre of a bullet, the...
- False-Start Kerf
- A short, incomplete saw mark adjacent to the main kerf, produced when the cutter repositioned the saw after an unsatisfactory initial entry...
- Hinge Fracture
- A curved crack running from the deepest point of a chop kerf to the opposite cortex, producing a free-floating triangular fragment; characteristic...
- Incised Wound
- A wound produced by a sharp-edged implement. Margins are clean, without contusion or bridging. Depth is less than length in a classic...
- Kerf
- The groove or channel cut into bone by a sharp implement; its width, wall angle, floor texture, and profile are the primary...
- Kerf Wall Squareness
- The angle of the kerf walls relative to the bone surface; square walls indicate a stable, perpendicular saw stroke; canted walls indicate...
- Residual Tooth Marks
- Individual tooth impressions in the floor of an incomplete saw kerf, allowing direct measurement of tooth geometry and TPI when the saw...
- TPI (Teeth per Inch)
- The number of teeth on a saw blade per inch of blade length; determines the spacing of striation marks on the kerf...