Thread: Disston saw info?

Whilst I can't assist with your question, if you don't get answer on this here, you might try posting this in Hand Tools - Unpowered. Some very wise folks are about and active in that forum, in case this post isn't seen here.

Yes, you would likely get more responses over in 'hand tools', but here's my take, fwiw. First, it's a post WW2 model, from the era when it's generally accepted Disston no longer made the high quality of saws it once did. This is indicated by the crudely-shaped (Beech) handle, the aluminium saw bolts, and the painted "wheat motif" (which was carved in negative relief in the 'good 'ol days' of saw manufacture). With a pitch of 6ppi, it will have been intended as a rip saw & the glimpse of teeth in your pics confirms they have no fleam, so a ripsaw it is. A saw from this era will probably not be taper-ground or tensioned the way the saws made by Disston at the height of their game were.

While not a saw to get a collector's pulse racing, it's a perfect place to start if you wish to learn to sharpen & set hand saws. These days, most folks use powered saws for ripping, and use hand-power only occasionally. For that role, a saw like this can do a good job for you if sharpened & set correctly. What you might notice if you compared it with a good taper-ground model is that it will have a rather 'dead' feel to it, but it can still saw just as quickly, all else being equal. It will need a little more set to prevent binding if it's not taper-ground, which means you will work a teeny bit harder to cut the same distance, but for occasional use, the difference will be hardly noticeable.

Cheers,

Thanks for the information, I bought it for $20. Assuming it was a rip saw. I'm mainly using hand tools so thought for $20 it's worth buying to add to my collection. I don't do much ripping so if it's a little more effort to use then Just means I get a better work out.



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At $20 its a bargin. As IanW said sharpened and set it will do an OK job. Hardly anyone makes a rip saw now.
Regards
John