A reciprocatory saw, in particular, a jigsaw, is made up of a pitman with a chuck arranged for the releasable clamping of a saw blade. The chuck contains a movably mounted chuck jaw arrangement able to be clamped laterally against the saw blade shank, a wedge element arrangement adjacent to and for cooperation with the chuck means, a first spring acting downwardly on the inserted saw blade and a second spring acting on the wedge element arrangement downwardly. The wedge element arrangement is connected with the chuck jaw arrangement in a manner for the transmission of rotary movement and from the outside and is able to be shifted between a bottom clamping position clamping the chuck jaw arrangement against the saw blade shank and a top release position freeing the chuck jaw arrangement. The wedge element arrangement assumes an angular position turned in relation to the clamping position and is seated on a stationary holding face.