Thread: Market saws

On the house

You did well Pagie,
Will you clean them up and sharpen them.

Cheers Matt,

First impressions are that both saws are post WW2. The top saw (in the pic Matt has corrected for southern hemisphere viewers ) looks like the 'youngest', it has a more 'degenerate' handle that reminds me vaguely of the old D20 (which was discontinued just before the war). They should make perfectly good saws for the sort of intermittent workouts we give handsaws in the age of 'lectrickery', though I think I'd take a rasp & some cloth-backed paper to those squarish grips if I intended using them a lot.

My limited experience of the post-WW2 Disstons suggests that the blades are not tapered as much as the pre-war versions, but I'm not sure if that's just an impression caused by the different tensioning - they certainly don't 'ring' like the oldies. Has anyone made any sort of systematic study of blade thickness & taper in these saws?

Cheers,

Thanks, Matt for getting me the right way up. Yes, they will be sharpened and used. I will measure the thickness in a few places just for info but they will be users.

Originally Posted by IanW

First impressions are that both saws are post WW2. The top saw (in the pic Matt has corrected for southern hemisphere viewers ) looks like the 'youngest', it has a more 'degenerate' handle that reminds me vaguely of the old D20 (which was discontinued just before the war). They should make perfectly good saws for the sort of intermittent workouts we give handsaws in the age of 'lectrickery', though I think I'd take a rasp & some cloth-backed paper to those squarish grips if I intended using them a lot.

My limited experience of the post-WW2 Disstons suggests that the blades are not tapered as much as the pre-war versions, but I'm not sure if that's just an impression caused by the different tensioning - they certainly don't 'ring' like the oldies. Has anyone made any sort of systematic study of blade thickness & taper in these saws?

Cheers,

Ian,

You must remind me to use the word “Degenerate” more often when we’re talking saws.

You just made my day.

Cheers Matt,

You're welcome, Matt - remember I come from the generation that was often accused of being 'degenerate', so it's a word I'm very familiar with.....

Originally Posted by IanW

First impressions are that both saws are post WW2. The top saw (in the pic Matt has corrected for southern hemisphere viewers ) looks like the 'youngest', it has a more 'degenerate' handle that reminds me vaguely of the old D20 (which was discontinued just before the war). They should make perfectly good saws for the sort of intermittent workouts we give handsaws in the age of 'lectrickery', though I think I'd take a rasp & some cloth-backed paper to those squarish grips if I intended using them a lot.

My limited experience of the post-WW2 Disstons suggests that the blades are not tapered as much as the pre-war versions, but I'm not sure if that's just an impression caused by the different tensioning - they certainly don't 'ring' like the oldies. Has anyone made any sort of systematic study of blade thickness & taper in these saws?

Cheers,

I am not entirely certain I wish to be part of a thread that includes "degenerate" as there is always the concept of guilt by association: However, at the risk of compromising myself, I think the D-8 saws, up until the time HK Porter acquired the company in 1955, maintained a very significant taper. I quickly compared a few saws that were similar to that saw very well bought by Pagie. Most seemed to be about .035" at the tooth line and tapered down to .021", or even less in some instances, at the top of the toe. This is a very healthy taper. I agree that the handles are "blocky," very uninspiring to look at and even more unpleasant to hold. Handles are and should be tactile. They can easily be modified to the style of their earlier brothers.

The Disstons after 1955 are normally characterised by very large, double outline lettering and some reference to HKP.

Disston HKP.jpg

Regards
Paul

Thanks Paul. I suspected my idea that the plate was thicker may have been false - I meant to measure mine yesterday, but was busy (using a chainsaw!) & hand saws sort of slipped my mind. There is definitely a difference in the 'feel' of the late-forties/early 50s model I have compared with my pre-war models. It's not a bad saw, it cuts just as well, but has a somewhat 'dead' feel compared with my 3 pre-war models. Possibly pure prejudice on my part...

Cheers,

The one I bought definitely tapers and has no HKP on it.

Originally Posted by Pagie

The one I bought definitely tapers and has no HKP on it.

Pagie,
Remind me to measure some of my saws next time i see my creative degenerate space.
That by guilt I’m associated with unfortunately and I measure a few.

Cheers Matt,

Are you going to measure your degenerativeness?

Is this degenerating into a degenerate contest of how many degenerate adjectives we can squeeze into an ever-degenerating sentence?

Originally Posted by IanW

Is this degenerating into a degenerate contest of how many degenerate adjectives we can squeeze into an ever-degenerating sentence?

Sounds like it [emoji849]

Is it degenerative if it could be caused by old age?

Originally Posted by Pagie

Is it degenerative if it could be caused by old age?

I think it could be, but then I checked the dictionary definition to be certain: Now I am in denial. I knew I shouldn't have been persuaded to participate in this one.

However, as far as hand saws go I think the inexorable decline in handle form became minimalist without any of the artistic connotations that word conjures up. The machines were completely unable to replicate the intricacies of the hand made product and as time marched on this trend became even worse. The Spear and Jackson is more simplistic than the Disston. If these two saws were mine I think initially I would take to them with a rasp and sand paper to create a better level of comfort and more aesthetics. If at the end of that exercise I wasn't happy with the effect, there was nothing really lost and I would pick up a template off the net and make up a new handle: Now you have the option of using a really nice Aussie hardwood too.


Regards
Paul