Nib-less #12 Disston

[Jonathan Spool]

I just picked up a 8tpi CC Disston #12 that has a stepped toe, but no nib. I knoe the ships wright saw has no nib, but it is not stepped. Was there a stepped nib-less #12, or do you think the nib was ground off by a previous owner?

[David Weaver]

I would guess it was broken off, and if there is no evidence, maybe it was filed.

[Jonathan McCullough]

Congrats on your saw find. It's nice that there's a fair number of No. 12's out there. Usually they're in pretty good shape--I think some fellows went into the hardware store, walked out with the best, used their saw once or twice, and eventually their saw comes to a truffle-snuffling saw hog like us. There are a couple I need to fix up. You come across a lot of saws that should have nibs, but none of the advertising I've seen shows the nib missing. It's a weak wee little nubbin there, and I've heard old wives' tales that it's for starting a kerf, which seems like a good way to break one off.

[george wilson]

Yes,a tooth for sawing nails,for starting a kerf,even a front sight!!! I think I've heard them all after listening to the public's comments on saw nibs for many years.

I believe the nib was for tying a string around the notch in the nib on the front of the saw. Then,a second string was tied through the handle,to hold on a kerfed long strip of wood to protect the saw's teeth,and the other tools FROM the saw's teeth. I have seen long planes with saw teeth deeply impressed into them from loose tools being carried in a tool box,jounced around for miles in a wagon. Ever ride in a work wagon on a rough road? A VERY rough ride,indeed. Everything in the wagon goes BLANG BLANG BLANG until it stops.

[Jonathan Spool]

186283I found this pic on the Disston site of an 1880 circa #12 that doesn't appear to have a nib, but who knows it could have been broken off.

[george wilson]

Sometimes they were taken off to use in canning niblets corn!:)

[Niels Cosman]

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/mystery-revealed-%E2%80%93-the-proper-use-of-the-saw-nib

I believe the most convincing argument to date. :)

[john brenton]

The nicholson chisel/file bottle opener was hilarious. There was a thread about a year ago where that chisel was being ripped on...it is an amazingly useless tool.

[george wilson]

Years ago I believe there was a German miniature wooden plane that was a bottle opener. I think Ulmia offered it. Looked like a coffin smoother about 2" long.

[john brenton]

George,

I believe it was ECE, and I'm pretty sure I saw one recently on ebay along with a pretty sweet set of ece/ulmia planes. I wanted that little bottle opener...but hell, if I can't make one in 30 minutes I may as well sell all my tools now and find another hobby.

[george wilson]

I knew there was something like it out there.

[Frank Drew]

George,

I believe it was ECE...

You're right, John, E.C.E is it. I'm looking at one right now -- - coffin-sided, beech body, 3-1/2" x 1-1/2", E.C.E medallion inlaid on top, printed message on the sole: Use Genuine "E.C.E." Wood Planes They're Tops"

Excellent bottle opener! :D

As for the saw nib, I think George's string holding hypothesis makes a lot of sense; most carpenters went to work with a wood tool box and no matter how carefully you placed your saw, without a guard over the teeth they'd get dulled sooner than necessary. Without a nib the string might tend to slip off a tapered blade.

[john brenton]

I bet if they circulated that plane in Germany it would be three times the size...there's no way they could say all that in German and have it be any more than 1 pt. font.