Thread: Disston Panel Saw

Toby suggested that "Disston-Disston" seemed to be an Australian thing ...

and there is this old thread: https://www.woodworkforums.com/f152/u...on-saws-99694/


Cheers,
Paul

try googling "Disstonian Institute", it should give you a link to dating the medallion.

Thanks Paul and John. Have tried the Disstonian without much luck. Might email them with the images

It is a machine made handle, if the medallion or saw studs are aluminium I would guess 70's if brass probably sometime post war but closer to the '70's

Good luck cleaning the blade, that looks a bit more than surface rust, or did you buy it for the handle

I have looked (and looked!) on the web to find info on the Disston-Disston medallion, and have found nothing. But the only place they turn up is in Australia. And since Disston had a factory in Australia which opened in Sydney in 1926, probably closing in the 1950's, I assume that's where they came from. Disstons in the US had medallions marked Philadelphia, or an abbreviated version of it, until 1940, when they changed it to U.S.A., Canadian saws have Canada on the medallion. Since Australia had a Disston factory, and I've never seen an Australian marked medallion, it makes sense that the Disston-Disston mark must have come from the Sydney factory.

I don't think that saw is a Disston. I have never seen a Disston handle like that, not even an HK Porter. All of the HK Porter saws were made in the US and they say U.S.A. on the medallion. I think someone replaced the medallion, either because they just needed a replacement, or they wanted to fool someone in to thinking it was a Disston. What does the back look like? Does the nut match the others? Of course they may have gotten lucky and could use the original nut.

Toby

P.S. You won't find any Disston-Disston medallions on the Disstonianinstitute site.

I just found this.

Toby

Doh ...


I remember reading that now - thanks Toby.

Inspired by you:

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f152/r...ndsaws-125909/

and

Australian Backsaw - Saw Discussion Forums

Paul.

Also this: http://www.toolemera.com/pampdf/disstonoz.pdf

from here: Library - Sharpening & Care of Tools

which is cool and interesting ... but doesn't really help

We need pictures of the back side. (the saw, not you) And it's a long shot, but see if you can find an etch.

Toby

Originally Posted by ClintO

Good luck cleaning the blade, that looks a bit more than surface rust, or did you buy it for the handle

No, was walking the dog and noticed the saw sticking out of a roadside collection box.

Ok, I emailed Erik from disstonian.com and received this reply:

Scott,
The saw appears to be from the 60's. but the medallion does not. When
the handles looked like that, the fasteners were made from aluminum or
steel. The two intact bolts on this saw are obviously steel, but the
medallion screw looks to be chromed brass. That style medallion was
made in the late 40's and early to mid 50's, before Disston was sold to
HK Porter. It was used on the Canadian saws and others sold in the
Commonwealth. It's a home handyman's saw, not one intended for a
carpenter. Disston had a factory in Toronto and another which was more
of an assembly plant and warehouse, which was in Sydney, if I recall off
the top of my head correctly.
--
Erik von Sneidern
Disstonian Institute.com -- Online Reference of Disston Saws

So since I picked this saw up for nothing and given this information, I'll probably sell it. Anyone interested?

Hey, we found out about the Disston-Disston medallions, glad you found that saw!

Toby

Originally Posted by sjt

Hi all,

Have attached a couple of images of a Disston Panel saw I picked up this afternoon. I've since been scouring the net trying to identify the era and ID of this saw and have come to naught. Cleaned up the medallion for a better ID. Can anyone please help?

Ta in advance.

A saw that has been around here a long time looks quite like yours ... slightly different in (at least) the keystone in the medallion and the horns.

The medallion is 20mm outside diameter.

I'm guessing it would have been a deeper saw 'cos the ppi number is not visible at the heel. There is only the very vaguest suggestions of any kind of etch.

Cheers,
Paul.