My Two Disston D8s

[Luke Maddux]

Bit of a story here...

I'm in the process of exploring hand tools. I think that at the end of the day I'll still always own a table saw and a lathe. And the coping saw isn't going to replace my band saw... ever. But I'm definitely done with the mitre saw, and any desire I ever had to get a jointer or a drum sander is long gone. Router? Please...

Anyway, a few months ago I decided I needed a crosscut profile hand saw. This one tool would get one of my machines, the mitre saw, out of the shop. First, i got a cheapo from Bunnings. This was meant to hold me over while I found a vintage saw that I liked and was prepared to keep forever. A few weeks went by and i found one on Gumtree that was less than a km from my house. It was a Henry Disston and Sons. I had heard of Disston but really it was just a word to me at the time. I bought the saw and brought it home with the intention of paying someone to sharpen it and putting it to work. I paid $40 for it.

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I get home and decide that, just for fun, I'll see if I can date the saw. I'm a woodworker, not a collector, so I wasn't too fussed. After looking at some online reference material and speaking to a couple of experts, I realized that this was no ordinary Disston saw. The saw is 127 years old. The exact year is able to be determined, which is unique. The first year that the medallion was used turned out to be the last year that the specific variety of saw nuts was used.

I sought advice regarding how to clean and restore the saw. I got a lot of hesitation from various people because as soon as you start polishing this and that or refinishing handles it loses its value to collectors. But since I'm not a collector and the only person who's ever going to use this saw while I'm breathing is me, I decided to do it my way. The main thing i was told is do not, for any reason, take the handle off.

The next day I took the handle off. I sanded to 600 grit, then I applied four coats of oil finish and topped it off with a coat of carnauba wax. I polished up the brass with a dab of mineral spirits and some 2000 grit. It all went back together like a champion. I wanted it to look healthier but still look like an antique. I couldn't be happier.

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Then I decided I wanted to have the rip profile mate. I had to source it from the United States, and I paid an arm and a leg, but in the end I found one from the same year in absolutely fantastic condition with the engraving on the blade 100% visible and almost all of the original finish on the handle.

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Here they are. My Boys. A couple of spring chickens intching for another 127 years of hard work!

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Cheers,
Luke

[Vann]

I had to source it from the United States, and I paid an arm and a leg...

I'll bet the arm was the cost of the saw, while the leg (the larger limb) was for postage...

Nice looking saws BTW. I hope you get a lot of enjoyment (and exercise) using them.

Cheers, Vann.

[planemaker]

Nice work Luke.

regards Stewie;

[NCArcher]

Very handsome saws the D8s. I have a similar D8 rip saw. Not as old as yours, I think mine is around 1902ish. Yours doesn't look like it's been sharpened many times in 127 yrs.

[Christos]

Great work on getting these to usable condition. I have similar thought as I also got rid of my noisy miter saw as it's main purpose was to allow a place for dust to gather.