Disston

[planemaker]

Disston was one of the only saw makers able to "roll their own" steel rather than import it from the UK. During the 1880s, a major portion of the Federal budget came from tariffs on imports, and owing to other variables such as transportation, labor unrest, steel availability, and the normal budgetary ups and downs requiring adjustments to tariffs, the cost of rolled spring steel to US saw manufacturers could vary from moderately expensive to prohibitively expensive. Tariffs went up in the mid-to late 1880s, creating distress in the US saw manufacturing sector. Rather than let nature take its course and kill the competition, one of the Disston sons created a shadowy holding corporation that bought up most of the saw manufacturers on the east coast--Richardson Bros. of Newark New Jersey, Harvey Peace of Brooklyn New York, Woodrough & McParlin of Cinchinnati Ohio, Wheeler, Madden & Clemson of Middletown New York, etc. etc. etc. The association was ostensibly to compete with Disston, but it turned out that a controlling share of the company was owned by Disston, and once the competition had sold out, they had no recourse; there was at that time no anti-trust legislation against cornering a market. Although the Harvey Peace saws were manufactured up until about the 1920s, the rest of the concern withered on the vine.

That left Disston, Atkins, Bishop, and Simonds, and in the vacuum left by the lack of competition, Simonds of Fitchburg Mass rapidly became a major hand saw manufacturer.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?150091-One-Saw-a-Week-18-inch-Simonds-No-10%BD-Panel-Saw-10-TPI

[planemaker]

The following is the list Saw Making Companies that were acquired by Disston: * As per the Disston 1906 Catalogue.

(Linked to the opening thread would be the acquisitions post mid -1880s.)

Johnson & Conaway 1857
P. Fraley & Co. 1859
John H. Gunniss 1861
William Cresson 1862
Bringhurst & Verree 1866
James Turner 1867
Aaron Nichols Unknown
Hill & Davenport 1868
Wm. & Harvey Rowland 1870
Waterhouse Saw Co. 1874

Richardson Bros. 1890
Harvey W. Peace Co. 1890
Pennsylvania Saw Co. 1892
Wheeler, Madden & Clemson 1893
Woodrough & McParlin 1893
Woodrough & Clemson 1893
Baldridge & Hogan Saw Co. 1901
American Saw Co. 1901

[planemaker]

In 1947 Jacob S. Disston became president of the company and believed that the development of the chain saw held the most promise for the future of the company. Disston contracted with the Kiekhaefer Company of Wisconsin to develop a light weight engine for the saw. It was manufactured, but had to be recalled due to mechanical problems. In 1952 several Kiekhaefer employees resigned and went to work for Disston. The firm borrowed $3.5 million from the Philadelphia National Bank for development of the saw. It was at this time that the Disston family realized that the firm needed new leadership. For the first time a non-family member, John Thompson from Roebling Steel, became president. Soon Kiekhaefer Aeromarine Motors Inc. filed suit against Disston, charging illegal employment of their executives. Because of this, Thompson discontinued the chain saw project. PN Bank called for immediate repayment of the loan. This pulled money from the Disston shareholders dividends. This action caused many of the women shareholders, who were not involved in the company, to sell their stock to H.K.Porter. Once H.K.Porter had control of the company they paid off the loans using the employee’s pension fund. Quality was never the same as it was under the Disston family’s control. In 1978 the firm was sold to Sandvick, a Swedish saw company. In 1984 Sandvick sold the company to R.A.F. Industries, as the empire that Henry Disston had built was just an empty shell by then.

http://www.takeadiptools.com/page19.php