for a range of hard, brittle materials, such as in mineralogy. Ceramic tiles may also be sawn.

The main form of ring saw uses a ring or wire that is like a flat disk. The non-cutting side of the blade is behind the cutting edge, so limits the depth of the cuts that may be made. Wire-saws are coated with an abrasive on all sides and so may cut in any direction. With the ring behind the cutting edge, cuts in the main direction will treat the blade (in mechanical terms)