Intervention PLEASE!

[Mark Baldwin III]

I've been shopping again. Inspired by last weeks fun, I found another antique store today. I walked away with a Marley match plane, only half of a pair; and Atkins 22" 9ppi crosscut, and a Pennsylvania Saw Company 26" 5ppi rip saw (marked "A3"). The two saws totaled a whopping $5. I wanted a good rip saw to pair up with the Stanley I got last week. First pic is all three. Next is the Atkins saw handle, it needs two screws and some TLC.

[Mark Baldwin III]

Next is the Penn saw. I managed to get the etch to show up OK.

[Mark Baldwin III]

Last is the Marley plane. It is meant for a wider board than what I need, but I think some strategic shimming will make it work. The Iron is a T.Shaw. It is in pretty good shape overall and should take minimum fettling to make it work.

[Mark Baldwin III]

Could anyone direct me to some info about these saws? I've found a little about Atkins (this one is a No. 54), but absolutely nothing on the Pennsylvania Saw Corp. I've been trying to dig something up for the last few days. I have some more cleaning to do on both of them, and then I'll sharpen them up.
Googling for the Marley plane just turns up Bob Marley stuff. I'll have to get that American plane makers book ordered like I keep meaning to do.

[Jim Koepke]

Could anyone direct me to some info about these saws? I've found a little about Atkins (this one is a No. 54), but absolutely nothing on the Pennsylvania Saw Corp. I've been trying to dig something up for the last few days. I have some more cleaning to do on both of them, and then I'll sharpen them up.
Googling for the Marley plane just turns up Bob Marley stuff. I'll have to get that American plane makers book ordered like I keep meaning to do.

I will try to come up with a bit more on the saw later. I am balancing my dinner plate on my lap and a cat is trying to get my attention right now.

On the plane, try this as a search term > Marley "plane" -bob -music +tool < it got a few hits.

jtk

[Jonathan McCullough]

Sorry, can't help you with the plane. The Atkins is a well established pattern. The 54 was kinda like a Disston No. 7 in the same vein that the No. 53 was like a Disston D-8. As I recall, their ad copy said that the No. 53 had the so-called "Perfection" handle, and the No. 54 had a more traditional handle, something to the effect of, "for those who prefer it." Should be a pretty good saw though--Atkins saws can be excellent.

I have less information on the Pennsylvania Saw Corporation(s) and their saws. I'm doing research on a really old model from the turn of the century. Disston may have bought them out. Then they disappear. Then the Pennsylvania Saw Corporation seems to reappear with a Quaker Rolled Oats guy on the etch after H.K. Porter closed down Disston. I haven't finished cleaning up the old one, but it looks like an excellent saw with an interesting history.

The newer ones appear to be an inexpensive offering. According to the OldToolsList, Erwin Schaffer (he of Hand Saw Makers of North America) says: "Pennsylvania Saw Corp was operating in York PA in 1938-1979 and then was bought out by Stanley Tools."

[Jim Koepke]

Found a little on the Pennsylvania saw.

In the search mentioned in my PM I clicked on the "buy it now" at the site I linked and it leads to ebay sale 390294737089. There are scans of some of the pages there.

Here is an image of the one mine:

187649

Just a little different than yours. Mine is from the late 1960s.

jtk

[Mark Baldwin III]

Jim and Jonathan, thanks for the info. I like to think that all of these old tools have a story behind them. If I see something that will work, I've been inclined to buy. Learning the history is a lot of fun, but sometimes pretty difficult (as you probably know!). You've helped me narrow down the searches quite a bit. I'm going to have to check the used bookstores in my area for some of the tool books. I'm not sure if I want to drop $75 for a book (which seems to be what Amazon and B&N are asking for "handsaw makers").

[Jim Koepke]

When living in the San Francisco area there were a couple of chains that I would find books at all the time. One of them, Half Price books often had books on wood working tools.

I often look in thrift shops for books.

Also when ever my wife and I are out traveling we both love to look through book stores.

One thing I do is look for books online so that I know the books I want by sight. This makes it quick to look through shelves for a particular book. Also if you know a few books, the places that shelve similar books together will be easier to find the topics you want if the topics are not listed on the shelves. I see this often in thrift stores and antique shops.

jtk

[Charles McKinley]

Intervention????

Looks like you need to go shopping and find some saw nuts!

Do you plan to make the match for the Plane? (saw you plane making thread the other day.)

[Mark Baldwin III]

Jim-I have three Half Price Book stores in my area, and an independent used book shop down the street. So I will have to go and do some digging around. I'm starting to notice used book stores and antique stores more, not that they weren't there before, but now I have an eye for them.
Charles-I sure do need a couple of screws and nuts. I reckon I'll pick up a kinked or otherwise unusable saw to salvage them from. As far as making the other plane for my match plane, yeah, the thought has occurred to me. Maybe after I tackle a traditional smoother. My floats from LN finally shipped (along with my other mortise chisel).

[Charles McKinley]

Half Price Books is EVIL!!!!! Money sucking evil.;)