SawStop Table Saws

How It All Began

What if you could stop a saw blade and prevent a serious injury? That sounds like a really good idea.

Today, that idea is protecting woodworkers in tens of thousands of SawStop table saws in North America and around the globe. We are proud to say that it was our idea, but we are most proud that woodworking is now safer.

Here at SawStop, we make saws. Our saws, besides being the highest quality and best featured saws in their market segments, feature the ability to detect contact with skin and stop the blade in less than 5 milliseconds.

The SawStop story is about a small company with a big idea. The technology was invented by Dr. Steve Gass in 1999, and the business was started by Dr. Gass and three other friends in 2000.

In 2004 the first SawStop Table Saw was sold. In the years between then and now, our saws have saved thousands of fingers. The combination of safety, unparalleled design and craftsmanship has made SawStop the #1 cabinet saw in North America.

SawStop is a privately owned company based in Tualatin, Oregon, just south of Portland.

The remodeled hayloft of this barn was SawStop’s first headquarters. We have since upgraded to a larger facility located in Tualatin, OR, just 30 minutes south of Portland.