Workpiece guard and blade guard for band saw

A hand-held band saw for cutting a workpiece, the hand-held band saw comprising:

• a deck defining a front and a rear, the deck having an opening in the front defining a cut zone and a first deck portion generally located on a first side of the opening and a second deck portion generally located on a second side of the opening;
• a first wheel supported by the first deck portion;
• a second wheel supported by the second deck portion;
• a motor operably coupled to the first wheel;
• a single handle providing a single grip for a user to hold the band saw with only one hand;
• a continuous blade supported by the first and second wheels, the continuous blade having a cutting edge, wherein the continuous blade includes a first portion positioned in the cut zone for performing a cutting operation and a second portion positioned outside of the cut zone;
• and
• a blade guard positioned proximate the cutting edge of the second portion of the continuous blade to substantially provide a barrier between the cutting edge and an exterior of the band saw.