A reciprocating saw is a type of machine-powered saw in which the cutting action is achieved through a push-and-pull ("reciprocating") motion of the blade. The name Sawzall is often used and is an example of a generic trademark. This name is from Milwaukee Electric Tool, who first produced a tool of this type in 1951, and in the United States, it is ubiquitously, colloquially applied to tools of this type. The term is commonly applied to a type of saw used in construction and demolition work. This type of saw, also known as a hognose or recip saw, has a large blade resembling that of a jigsaw and a handle oriented to allow the saw to be used comfortably on vertical surfaces. The typical design of this saw has a foot at the base of the blade, similar to that of a jigsaw. The user holds or rests this foot on the surface being cut so that the tendency of the blade to push away from or pull towards the cut as the blade travels through its movement can be countered.
