Comparison of two hand saws, and questions

I love handsaws too.

I have at least 6 D-23s, several D-8s. About 40 or 50 saws all together.,,55?

The Disston saws are absolutely engineered to perform. Just because they're old doesn't mean they are not up to the quality of engineering available today. Disston had their own steel mill and made blades for every body. Warranted Superiors are a Second line of the Disston company. The Disstons actually used to advertise their "Taper Grind Saws" as less likely to hang up in the cut. It works for me.

Tom in KY, with 34 saws hanging on my bedroom walls right now. My kids call it the Cracker Barrel bedroom.

The only handsaw I like better than the old Disstons are the old Atkins "Silver Steel" saws - the cut just as well as a Disston and they seem to be much more resistant to rust. I've never found one with more than a very light partial coat of rust. Sometimes the only way I can identify a Disston is by the medallion, the blade is total rust.

I'm not so sure the "quality of engineering today" is a great comparison for hand tools.

Today's average hand tools are typically "value engineered" versions of old tools, made with crappy materials as quickly as possible. Today's good and excellent hand tools are typically based on old designs and made with care.

Even Lie-Nielsen's "new" line of chisels are based on old Stanley products.

Saws, chisels, and planes really aren't rocket science, but it does cost a decent sum to make them right!

Barry

Agreed, a roll of steel cut into the shape of saw blades does not scream of quality to me. The engineering now is non-existent on the final product. The engineering is in the manufacturing process, eliminating some foreigner's job :-)

Also, the handles, heh; used to be a rip saw had a handle at least 1" thick. Now you see 3/4" or less.

Tom in KY, when I think about saws, I think, my old saw can kick your new saws a$$.

I've got one Atkins saw. I'd have a bunch more if they were more plentiful around here. If you find yourself swamped and can't around your shop for all of the Atkins saws, I'll take a few off of your hands. But Only if I have to. ..please.

Tom in KY, maybe not totally brand loyal :-)

Hooboy! I gots one of each! Belonged to my late grandfather.

The rough saw is sharpened wrong. Learn the basics and you can do it better yourself. A triangular file and vise are all the tools you need. Use scrap boards to hold the saw in the vise. Once you get the feel for the angle of cut you can make a smooth cutting blade. Study the angles on the good saw teeth. Bugs

Yeah, the Simonds was sharpened by Daily saw service, somewhere in California and I think the set is too wide. Not an expert yet, but I hope to get there.

Sorry, they're not that common around here either. I've got a grand total of two :-).

I'm a sucker for old saws at estate sales :-). I keep saying I'm going to sharpen them all and sell them on Ebay, but I never seem to find the time.

I also have a later 30's-40's D-23 with the beech handle, 11 ppi but it's got a lot of "rust rise" mounds. Sad.

I don't think anything is that good as far as western saws.

I can see why it works well, widening the kerf on the push stroke, and releasing on the pull. It makes it entirely natural.

Too cool!

If you feel that way about them compared to the great Disstons, I'll keep a lookout for one or two. Thanks for the impressions.

Those are prize possesions, not made anymore. If you sell them, the money will not last as long as the saws will. I won't sell mine!

I have this little great neck hand saw with an 18"-20" blade, and the sharpness wears down much too quickly. The steel must RC 42-48, rediculous. So nowadays they use the same rolls of steel, only when the blade is done they use "impulse hardening" to compensate. It's a waste of metal and wood, and there ought to be a law against it.

Ain't nuthin' like cast sheet spring steel of RC 60! This was all American perfection.

A little shift in topic. I think I asked here before, but I'll try again. I have a handsaw marked "Olympic" on the blade. I don't have it handy but it also says stuff like "taper ground" and "handmade". The medallion says "warranted superior" but with an empty middle - no emblem.

I thought it might be a private label made by Disston, but then I found a saw I know was made in England and it has the same type medallion. So "warranted superior" seems to have been a common phrase.

I can't find "Olympic" in the handsaw history book and the owner of one of the handsaw websites had never heard of it either.

Anyone know anything about Olympic saws?

I think "warranted superior" just means "New! and Improved!" IIRC, the Disstonian Institute website mentions the phrase.

The English Disston connection is Sandvick, check my spelling, They still produce a saw somewhat comparable to an old Disston. The price reflects the quality. *Probably* the best saw on the market right now.

Tom in KY, saw nut.

Ha-ha-ha, Sandvik.,, yeah, that's it. SANDVIK.

Sandvik is now Bahco, and what they make are only modern tech "hard point" saws that cannot be sharpened, just like Stanley:

On the other hand, Lynx makes taper ground blades, but who knows what the RC is. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I know about Sandvik, but that's not what I've got. Mine is from an old manufacturer that went out of business about a hundred years ago :-). Made other things than saws, cutlery IIRC.