Disston Saws
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There’s a few Disston saws on ebay right now and some of them look like good deals.
For example:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/henry-disston-saw-/132068654987?hash=item1ebfe7bf8b:g:wy4AAOSw44BYf1JM
Are they good deals, is there something I’m missing?
Not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, so just my 2 cents.
One has a S&J handle. Most handles look of the newer style, so later models rather than early?
This looks like a useful resource:
http://www.disstonianinstitute.com/backsawpage.html
Note: the site says not all saws have the Disston etching on the plate, although most newer ones should.
HTH
Darren.
They all look like they could be made into solid users.
#1. Looks OK. Disston medallion replaced.
#2. Clunky handle. (Could be reshaped.) Extensive pitting.
#3. Very nice! Brass backed Disstons are hard to find in the US.
#4. Interesting. The handle looks good. The blade is questionable. It would probably clean up fine with some effort but who knows? I wouldn’t worry about the S&J medallion. These get switched a lot.
As for whether these saws are good deals or not depends on the final bid, not on the current high bid. You’ll find that most successful bids are made in the closing minutes of an ebay auction.
To get an idea of what similar saws sell for in the UK, search for “Disston tenon saw” under Completed Listings. Don’t forget to factor in Shipping Costs.
Dave
25 January 2017 at 8:33 pm #308713Not sure if it will help, but here’s how I’d evaluate them as user saws. Here in the USA maybe 70-80% of all back saws were make by Disston BITD, so we get to see lots of these. I assume you aren’t talking about them as collectors (they aren’t).
They all look like ok deals as users except that the last one ( a #5) is a little riskier purchase because the brown rust on it might be hiding some serious pitting. Pitting around the teeth, which would make sharpening an issue, is of most concern. If is just a few teeth, you can slightly overset them and then polish them flush with a fine diamond card. That’s a few extra minutes of work each time you resharpen. Some slight pitting in the areas that will never turn into teeth is of less functional concern as long as the saw slides through the kerf ok. Anyway, I’d derust the plate. Sometimes you get lucky and even an etch will reappear.
It also has a slight crack in the handle, but it doesn’t look structural. The seller says it’s a Speare-Jackson handle, but it’s pretty consistent with the Disston style of the period. It may just be a Jackson medallion. Either way, the handle looks fine. Ask the seller if the handle moves, which could indicate a botched replacement might have occurred. The tapered plate may mean you have to remove and reinstall the back, (Tutorials all over the web on that), or it might have been sharpened asymmetrically over time.
Still, it might make it worth the gamble if it was being offered in the USA, even if just for the pretty brass back which could be used on another saw. At that price, you could part it out on eBay. Just the set of saw nuts could return your investment here, if you are into that sort of thing.
None appear to have kinked plates or backs, which would render them useless.
The first (Disston #4) is probably the easiest to put back into service with only a careful sharpening involved, and a little cleanup. The nicely sculpted Apple handle is consistent with the style from 1918-1930ish. After that beech became common and they became boxier.
It appears to not have the original medallion on it, if that matters to you – possibly it’s a Tyzak? Replacement medallion, or just a bigger ( steel?) saw nut and washer. Hard to tell from the pictures.
I’d try to get a correct medallion, possibly from a junker saw from a thrift store, but I’m fussy.The second is a bit more pitted and, since I don’t see a stamp on the back, is probably from the 1950’s ( or late ’40’s) it would take a bit more work, but nothing serious. By this time the plates were less well fininished and the handles were cruder and of beech. It’s possible this was from the less expensive Jackson or Keystone lines, but the fat back tells me it was the Disston #4 series. Paul has a tutorial on reshaping handles, which I would do if I bought this saw. I wouldn’t pay as much for this saw as #1 or #3
The third is a #5 made in Canada ( 1930’s?) and would also go back into service fairly easily. All fittings seem correct and I’d spend some time refinishing the ( beech?) Handle. I’d probably do a little shaping to fit my grip, also, to make it feel like the older sculpted saws do in your hand. I think all the brass back saws ended production with the brass shortage in WWII. It does appear the etching is still there and some sanding at 600 grit might bring it out more. It could be turned into a beauty.
All would at least need a good sharpening.
As to price, they would be outright steals in the USA at those prices, where usable backsaws go for $40+ all the way to a couple hundred for fine examples. I’m not sure what the market bears in the U.K., but you won’t get a new saw comparable to any ( again, the last is risky) of these. Even the new Speare-Jackson saws Paul talks about are more expensive, though you get a sharp saw to start off. The new saws look klunky to my Disston tuned eye, though.
Here in the USA, brass backed Disstons are more rare than in the U.K. and get a premium price. I don’t know the U.K. Market well enough to know to what extent that is so there, but it seems saws in general are cheaper there.
And maybe the skill of the previous owner is still in the saw. 😉
I get a kick out of bringing these things back to life and wondering about the previous owner.As to the etchings, I wouldn’t worry about them.
The early and last periods of Disston production often didn’t have etchings or they wore off. No Disston backsaws have etches in my 1906 hammacker-Schlemmer catalogue, unless they had the H&S etch which they sold at a premium. I’ve personally never seen a saw from before 1918 with an etch in the wild, or one after Disston sold to Porter with a stamped back and often without an etch. They did sometimes ink a logo on, and those quickly wore off. I’ve never seen any Disston 8″ or 10″ #4 backsaw with an etch. They were thinner plates – more like a dovetail saw.And I don’t know if car booth sales yield better results of not. The USA equivalent is flea markets and thrift store, which occasionally get real steals, where ebay offerings often get more people looking at each item.
Anyway, that’s how I’d look at them. Good luck with your choices.
25 January 2017 at 11:53 pm #308717[quote quote=308716]Did you see the other items that the seller of Saw #1 has for sale? Some very nice chisels among other goodies.
Dave
[/quote]
Nice sleuthing.
There are some nice chisels and gouges.I would watch the wooden compass plane and the Joseph Peace saw also.
the saw would have to be re-toothed, which takes Paul maybe 20 minutes and me a couple hours or more, but it could be a really nice saw.
26 January 2017 at 6:25 pm #308731I would be tempted by the 4th one even at the BIN price. It’s surprising what you can pick up for very little even on eBay, I recently bought five saws for £12.05 two of them being Disston, you can see them here http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/old-disston-saws-/332023667372?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=NJlBi6nwgAqT0vDyWQSjhrVcVi0%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc and those are the two I wanted. I couldn’t believe I got them for that price. I could just see a hint of brass on the back through a scratch and you can see how it cleaned up in the picture below (plus a screwdriver I picked up for £1). The larger hand saw also cleaned up well and whilst not so old is still a nice usable saw.
You’ve been given some great advice already, I just wanted to show you what you could get with a little effort and a quick sharpening. It’s a lovely saw to use and is going in the joiner’s tool box for my son that I mentioned to you the other day.
Good luck whichever you go for.
Best regards
Craig
Edit; I’ve just seen Larry thinks that’s the worst one! Perhaps you’d be better to heed his advice as he seems to be very knowledgeable, far more than I!
- This reply was modified 7 years, 6 months ago by cragglerock.
- This reply was modified 7 years, 6 months ago by cragglerock.
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You must be logged in to view attached files.27 January 2017 at 6:42 am #308750I just said I thought it was the riskiest, and offered ways to recover some of the outlay if the saw turned out to be a clunker. But for the right price, I’d consider it if I were looking for a saw and lived in the U.K. Shipping it to Oregon would cost multiples of the saw price. If it turned out not to be pitted, it could be a very nice saw.
< edit> I see the saw still has no bids at £5.00 as I write. If I lived there I’d think about it, I just wouldn’t pay a lot for it compared to two or three of the others if getting a user right away is the goal, as opposed to restoring saws. It’s sort of an additional hobby. Two of the others could be put right to work. The newest #4 could also, but wouldn’t ever be as desirable.
There’s a thread here on derusting antique tools where I showed a before and after of a #4 Disston that had rust about as bad, and it not only cleaned up with no pitting, but the etch was still there. Go take a look at it.
You just never can be 100% sure with that much rust on the plate.
28 January 2017 at 8:31 pm #308792Well it did indeed go for just £5 which is quite incredible, I almost bid on it myself but I don’t have a need for it. I wonder did you buy it Mark? I hope so.
I had already seen your restoration Larry and you made a fine job of it, better than I did on mine but I’m always a bit impatient to get things finished!
No I’m currently the highest bidder on this one
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/322395846869?_trksid=p2055359.m1431.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
28 January 2017 at 8:52 pm #308795Ah, that does look nice too and with a little work it will look even nicer. Good luck, hope you get it.
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