A rip cut is a type of cut in woodworking that severs or divides a piece of wood parallel to the grain. Unlike cross-cutting, which shears the wood fibers, a rip saw works more like a series of chisels, lifting off small splinters of wood. The nature of the wood grain requires the shape of the saw teeth to be different, thus the need for both rip saws and crosscut saws. A rip cut is the fundamental type of cut made at a sawmill.
In contrast to a rip cut, a cross-cut is a cut that severs or divides a piece of wood perpendicular to the grain. Cutting along the grain is a very easy cut, while cutting across the grain takes more effort. Essentially, with a rip cut, you "rip" the wood apart, like you can split it with an axe, except youll get a straighter cut as you may still cut some of the wood fibers. On the other hand, with a cross-cut, you cut across the grain, which takes more effort and requires a different type of saw blade. A cross-cut saw blade has teeth that are angled and shaped to slice through the wood fibers cleanly.
