How old is it and who might have made it?

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Duckshot

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Sep 8, 2014
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I found this interesting hand saw on eBay. It has domed style brass saw nuts, which I heard were used briefly in the U.S. around 1870. But I don't know if or when such nuts may have been used is Europe. It also has a steel side plate.-

unknown vtg hand saw w/ strange side plate antique farm carpenter saw | eBay

It interests me because I got one just like it. Domed brass nuts, nib, except the handle is slightly different. Mine too, as the one found above, has that steel side plate, one side only. When I acquired mine at first I thought is was some kind of repair, but the handle is complete with no cracks. It must have been made that way, but when and by whom?

Thanks.

Eta, I don't think mine is worth $199. Not to me anyways. Its just a wallhanger, too far gone to restore.
 

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Looks a lot like a Disston saw, and some of those had that outer plate.
(Could be wrong)
 

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I don't know much about them...My grandfather had one similar that he used in a miter box that looked as old as the saw he said it was his grandfathers. I may be going up there in a couple weeks to visit my grandmother. I'll dig it out and see if the miter part has a name. I don't remember if it had the plate, but it had the same looking brass nuts if I remember right.

You might be surprised what can be fixed to use. I watched him take saws that I thought would never work again and he would clean and sharpen them to use. Some of that stuff can still be cleaned and used.....
 

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Nitic, I have Diston D-100 thumbhole rip and D-8 crosscut, both pre 1917, that I still use. Used 'em last week. :icon_thumright:

My "side plate saw" measures 1-3/4" from back to foot at the toe. When the saw was made it was likely closer to 2-3/4" or more. They don't put nibs on ship saws as far as I know. :laughing7: The plate is too far gone.

No etching or stamp to be found, and I am very good at sniffing out etching( smells like the way lead paint tastes:tongue3:) I looked and looks at that plate. No mark to be found.
 

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Good to see I'm not the only one that knows what lead paint tastes like!:laughing7: That stuff doesn't hurt you! Just read my posts!:tongue3:
 

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Duckshot said:
I don't know. The photos of Disston saws with domed nuts had washers, not a plate. I did see a photo of saw with a brass side plate but I cannot recall where or how to locate it again.
Click to expand...

I could be mistaken but there's this one near the bottom of the page that looks like it has an outer plate
Interesting Tools Section
 

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I'm not real sure about the Diston #8, but that thing around the medallion, not really like a plate that acts as a washer-. I think it is just decoration but I might be mistaken. Anyway my side plate saw is probably not a Disston. From what i read, Disston invented the modern sex-bolt kind of saw nut in the 1870s. Right after they stopped using the domed nuts which ol' Henry D. found lacking. Before that they had split-nuts if I read and recall correctly.

I do still appreciate your efforts. : )
 

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O.k., Disston got their domed nuts when they bought out Walter Cresson.

Check it out, photos at bottom of page- Walter Cresson, Saw Manufacturer - Philadelphia, PA - Traditional Woodworking Tools Internet Magazine - wkFineTools.com

Many pages into that link it says Disston bought out Cresson in '65.

1865.

If my saw is a Cresson it is at least a century and a half a century old.

Cool.8-)

ETA - I don't eBay, somebody tell that guy his saw is a Cresson. Also that it can't possibly be worth $199. Thanks.
 

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sears catalog,1897 shows a similar saw,seems to be low end. can't tell the maker handsaw.jpg
 

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Why are we trying to ID someone else's eBay saw instead of the saw you actually have?
How did you find it if you "don't eBay"?
 

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I found my saw at a barn sale a while back. I noticed the sideplae saw on eBay while looking for something else and noticed it is similar to my saw. I do not buy or sell on eBay.

I can't post photos from here. I can load them, but my mouse won't drag them into albums for some reason. I will go to the library and try again.
 

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attachment.php





That metal side plate stands proud about 1/16" from the front end,-grain of the handle near the middle nut. Pretty shody. I expect it was a low priced saw. 26", 8 point crosscut. Handle looks more like a rip handle to me but maybe thats how they did it back then?
 

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reale bill said:
sears catalog,1897 shows a similar saw,seems to be low end. can't tell the makerView attachment 1502740
Click to expand...

That's a great reference Reale Bill. Not an exact match to my saws's handle but I'll its a good bet that Sears sold my particular saw at some point in time. Could you please tell me where you located a Sears catalog from 1897? I want to go shopping.

Looking for reference to saw with sideplate, domed nuts, and with that horn above the hook in the handle. I think I sense that it was a rip saw that got refiled crosscut. Saw is mostly likely not Cresson, unless it might be factory second due to shoddy plate/handle alignment.

Three horns on that handle though And no notch in the hook? It might not be american or might not be a wood saw?

Edited again- it was originally an eight point. I found the partial remains of an "8" stamped way down on the teeth. Not exactly any filing room on this saw. No sharpening zone left. So, it most likely was made crosscut. 8 point rip saws were pretty rare compared to rip saws with larger tooth. You only need them for thin stock less than one inch.
 

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Duckshot said:
attachment.php


O.k., I am all Toogled out. Forget about the strange saw nuts for a minute, this one single question is figuratively killing me.-

Ladies and Gentlemen- Who made saw handles with three horns? The usual English and U.S. made pattern saws most always have two horns and the handle squared off above the top horn in front of the hook. The saw pictured above has three horns- one at the bottom of the grip, one at the top of the grip, and one above that at the back (top) of the handle. Never seen that before, can't find reference to any similar handle design.

Thank you for any replies.
Click to expand...
 

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Found a patent!
https://www.google.com/patents/US216091

J. Holden patented a third horn. Seems to predate the Disston thumbhole handle and had the same purpose- to allow for comfortable two-handed use. Made in June of 1879, the patent was held by Wheeler-Maddson & and Clemson.

It might not be a W-M&C made saw though. Along with the nib, I think it is safe to date this saw between 1880-1930.
 

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