Anyone into Hand Saw Collecting?

twertsy · Nov 21, 2017

twertsy · Nov 21, 2017

hsvtoolfool · Nov 21, 2017

Great post! Thanks!

Farmer J. · Nov 21, 2017

This will be a useful thread for someone, don't know his name but a chap comes walking through my farm occasionally and stopped to chat and says he collects old hand saws and has trouble finding information on history and patents for them. He does a regular web search so will likely find your info.
He asked if I had any old saws, I do have 2 but they came from the same army surplus batch via the same local dealer here as 2 he already has so we had a laugh about that!

Packard V8 · Nov 21, 2017

I've got a user collection of mostly Disston London Spring Steel models, from 5pt to 12pt.

For those who've not had the experience, well-sharpened Disston, Atkins, Simmonds, Winchester and even some earlier Craftsman saws are a pleasure to use. I always grab one when just one or two cuts are required.

Almost seventy years ago, I watched a carpenter build a four-room house with only three handsaws; rip, crosscut and finish. Every day, after lunch, he'd sit with a three-cornered file and touch up the teeth of his saws. Watching him cut the bird's-mouth for rafters was pure artistry; never fast, never slow, always just on the inside of the line.

jack vines

Stuart in MN · Nov 21, 2017

I'll have to mark this thread for future reference. I'm not really much of a hand saw collector as such, but whenever I find an good old one for a cheap price I buy it. I mostly end up with Disstons, but have a few Simmons Keen Kutters, and a few Simonds which I particularly like as my brother worked there as an engineer. (note that Simmons and Simonds are two different companies, people often confuse the two.)

For some reason they seem to turn up regularly at automotive swap meets around here pretty often, but unfortunately about half of them have been 'modified' by someone painting a crummy folk-art nature scene on them.

BuddyC01 · Nov 21, 2017

Hand saws are funny. Easy to pick up for $3-$5 but some people randomly try $20 for no real reason. I've had some I really liked that I can't give away. Tonight I have a Disston that's currently at a $30 bid. If properly sharpened and set I've seen it command much more.

I'm originally from Indianapolis, IN. A few years ago I picked up an Atkins buck saw set and a 1920's Atkins sales booklet. I thought it was pretty cool that they were from Indianapolis too so that became my target to collect. They're not on peoples radar in NW Arkansas so I've been able to pick up a few nice examples. Now just need to find the time to make a display and keep adding.

BuddyC

bczygan · Nov 21, 2017

Whenever I see a saw for sale, I'll hand it to the owner and say "How Much?".

I usually get them for 2 or 3 dollars. If they ask too much, I look it over carefully, note all it's details and file them away. If it's a price I can handle, I buy it on the spot. I did buy one for $50 once, but I think I got ripped off. When my wife found out what I spent, it caused a big kerfuffle.

I rake through piles of tools at garage sales, looking for them. At antique shows, I always steel a look at any that are there. I wood love to find the one with the thumb hole for vertical work, in good condition.

I'm not a dashing young blade anymore, and my teeth are slowly falling out, but I still like the feel of a nice handsaw in my hand, cutting through wood.

I've got 30 or so. I'd be cross if asked to cut down my collection. I keep thinking, just a couple more and I'll be all set.

Read the above to my wife and she said it was awful......Not SAWfull....

She's just as bad as me!

Bill

RStewart · Nov 21, 2017

Well done Bill and twertsy.

leg17 · Nov 22, 2017

Twertsy you have too much time on your hands.
You need a hobby or something.

lowdowndodge · Nov 22, 2017

Thanks for the post... and yes collecting
hand saws is on my list.

Zeeman · Nov 22, 2017

I've bid on a few, but I am never willing to go for the crazy prices they are getting. I have been looking for a Diston D8 pre-war model. Thanks for the informative post. I plan to search it when I get more time. It's almost Kerf u time. I guess I'll go saw some logs.

chgans · Jan 9, 2023

Looks like all the links are broken

I get "There is no docId in the list for ORC20051015193916"

four.cycle · Jan 9, 2023

@chgans -

Welcome to the site.
The thread is five years old. I would imagine many of the links are dead.

Here's a link you might want to bookmark - kind of a "road map" to the site here.

You might find this one useful as well.

Thanks for bumping this. I hadn't seen this thread before, so the timing is perfect.

RTM · Jan 9, 2023

The USPTO Changed the format of their site, and may have killed all those links.

The WayBack Machine doesn’t have them either. Will see if there is an easy fix later, past my bedtime.

four.cycle · Jan 9, 2023

^ They're all dead links. I got the names, which is all I need. Surprisingly there aren't that many I need to add!

Don't know if you can "wayback" that information or not... Todd did a lot of work compiling all that.

RTM · Jan 9, 2023

OK, you can salvage these with a bit of pain.

The SN is still the same. The link I generated to get there will not re open when pasted into an incognito window, so I doubt it will work for anyone (can someone check?)

USPTO TSDR Case Viewer

I started back at

Trademark Status & Document Retrieval

Pasted in the serial number 60035237, click on DOCUMENTS, then click on Registration Document

Which gave me the link above, which looks suspiciously like twertsy's link, except its missing #docIndex=0&page=1

(HAND SAWS - Simonds Manufacturing Company - http://tsdr.uspto.gov/documentviewer?caseId=sn60035237&docId=ORC20051015193914)

So adding this to Twertsy's links may get you in without going back to zero (This only seems to be a problem with the Simonds trademarks) Some of the Disstons seem to work fine.

#docIndex=0&page=1

I grabbed his Boynton Link, which has the full length
http://tsdr.uspto.gov/documentviewer?caseId=sn60000636&docId=ORC20051013183339#docIndex=0&page=1

And is still barfed with a 500 server error. But I clicked Next Page (top right) and it worked, took me to the page I expected.

Now they are all acting weird and cooperating.

Give it a whirl, report back if this does or does not work for you.

kwigly · Jan 9, 2023

On tapping the links I mostly get "500 server error". but if I hit the "download pdf" button at top right it gives the requested picture

RTM · Jan 11, 2023

Here is one that didn't make the list for EC Atkins for the phrase "Segment Ground" Filed 6/12/1905 active 2/6/1906

*@#$https://tsdr.uspto.gov/documentviewer?caseId=sn60049469&docId=ORC20051017184244#docIndex=0&page=1

Using @Private Lugnutz method of jumping into the patent gazette using

patent "segment ground" gazette 1905

Brought me here, which leads to the link above when you precede the serial number with 600

Cleave · Jan 12, 2023

I have a good user collection of hand saws. Mostly Disston, but some others. Probably WW1 era is my earliest, looking around at the Disstonian Institute. I sharpen them up and use them. The 5.5 tpi rip saw is a pleasure to use, even with a bandsaw sitting right there.

Anyone into Hand Saw Collecting?

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