Sweetheart saw and J.R. Tolman plane

[Mark Baldwin III]

Today I found two nice tools. First is a Stanley Sweetheart panel saw. Blade is 19 3/4" and 8 ppi. The etch is hard to see, but I am just able to make out the heart. (any tips on making it pop out??). It is purdy darned straight. I can't wait to put it into the saw vise I got last week and get it into working order.

[Mark Baldwin III]

The second part of today's purchase was a J.R. Tolman plane. The best way to describe it is a compass spar plane. It has a Moulson Brothers double iron (with plenty of life in it). No real need for a plane such as this one, but it was so beautiful I just couldn't pass it up. All I know about Tolman is that he worked in Hanover Mass. from about 1849 into the 1860's.

[Mark Baldwin III]

Out of curiosity, I spent some time trying to find out when the saw was made. There is little to no information that I have been able to find about a sweetheart saw. I was able to make a little more of the etch visible, it reads: Stanley Victor, no. 870. There is also a number 8 stamped rather strongly into the blade below the handle. Can someone shed some light, or point me in the right direction?
I got the teeth reasonably sharp today, and made a few cuts. I will probably have another go at some light filing to finish it up. It will need to be jointed for the next sharpening.

[Gary Hodgin]

Not an expert, but the 8 on the saw probably denotes the ppi.

[Jonathan McCullough]

Yeah, I think that's a Disston saw, 8 tpi or ppi. Disston made the saws for Stanley's miter boxes, saws for complete toolbox kits, and I have a somewhat unusual saw made expressly for the Stanley Tool Works. It's a D-8 rip panel saw about 22" long with 7 tpi. So they had a relationship. I'm not a Stanley aficionado by any means but I think the Sweetheart logo was used from around the turn of the century to about the mid-1920s. The style of the saw reminds me of a Keen Kutter K-88. I've got one of those, and it's not simply a D-8 with a No. 16 handle. It's more like a No. 112 with a No. 16 handle. The key to yours is whether the taper grinding is pronounced or not. It's pure speculation but I think yours may be from one of the promotional kits Stanley put together and sold in a wooden box. It usually had a jack plane, an eggbeater, a hand saw, some screwdrivers, maybe a square and a bevel, maybe a brace and bits.

[Dave Anderson NH]

In 1922 Stanley offered the #870 tool roll, a canvas roll which was featured in a small supplemental catalog containing only tool sets. According to John Walter, this was the only year this set was offered and the canvas featured the Sweetheart logo. The roll measured 14" x 25" and contained 13 tools. This might or might not be a tool from that roll, but Walter offers no other Stanley or Victor tool numbered 870.

[Mark Baldwin III]

Thanks everyone. I thought that finding information about a Stanley saw would be a lot easier! In my recent rash of rust hunting, it has been the straightest saw that I've come across. For $7 I knew I couldn't go wrong. The 20" length is about perfect for me. After sharpening, I made a few test cuts. I found that the length fits my arm well...in that I use the full length of the saw without coming all the way out of the cut. I do have to work on the teeth a little more. By the way, it is filed cross-cut with little to no set. It appears to have a very slight taper, and overall in good shape.
As for the plane. From what I can gather, it is sort of rare...but no holy grail. I wasn't expecting to find a holy-grail, but it was just interesting. I may have to pick up the American Planemakers book for reference.

[Darrell Six]

Mark:
Should you decide to part with the J.R. Tolman plane I"d be interested in trading for something or a outright purchase. You can contact me direct at: sixpence39@comcast.net. If you are a user of planes I have a very nice Stanley 5-1/4 bench plane you might enjoy.

[David Keller NC]

J.R. Tolman was a Boston planemaker that lived a very long time (for the 19th century) - 1794 - 1867. AMWP lists him as being noted for producing large numbers of shipwright's planes, and for the high quality of his work. Shipwright's planes in general are not very common, and are avidly collected. A compassed shipwright's spare plane isn't a common item - I might go so far to say that it's rare.

[Mark Baldwin III]

Darrell, thank for the offer. At the moment, I am hesitant to part with this plane. If (or when) that time comes, I'll drop you a line. It really just seems like such a neat item that I want to let it sit next to my Baldwins for a while. There is a little bit of geek factor going on right now.
David, thanks for the additional bit of information. I saw one of Tolman's planes for sale in the $300+ range after I picked this one up, and it made me take a keener interest into the history of this chunk of wood. If it turns out to be rare or at least a sought after type of thing, I will likely hold it for a while before letting a true collector take it. It is not perfect...the wedge has been replaced, so it may not hold a high value. For now, it is a neat little piece of American history that I'm happy to own. Again, the geek factor.

[Mark Baldwin III]

I gave the Sweetheart a full workup. I removed the rust, while leaving most of the patina. I didn't want to go too far. I took it easy on the etch side of the blade. There is just a little bit of it left, and I didn't want to pull it all out. Then a good wash, dry, and wax. I took another run at the teeth, paying close attention to what the file was telling me. I didn't use any jigs or guides, I let the shape of the teeth and the file work together. The first couple of cuts were great! I'm sure that with more practice, my saw sharpening will get better. Here's a couple of shots of the finished saw, and what's left of the etch. There is just enough etch to identify the saw.

Thanks to everyone that shares advice and techniques for saw sharpening/restoration. This is something that I wouldn't have tried without all the info you so generously share:)