The invention relates to a handheld hacksaw with a saw blade that can be moved to and fro, an effective support device (20) in the direction of sawing, with a support element (21) that supports the back of the saw blade, a holder (22) that holds the support element (21) between two sides (222, 223), and guide elements (26, 27) with facing guide surfaces (261, 271) on the two sides of the saw blade facing away from each other. To reduce the production costs for the handheld hacksaw by ensuring a simple design of the guide elements adequate for high-quality sawing, the guide elements (26, 27) have a fixed horizontal spacing of the guide surfaces (261, 271) thereof, perpendicular to the direction of sawing at the ends of the sides (222, 223) of the holder (22).