Disston No. 12 questions...(stealth gloat)

[Clisby Clark]

I scored pretty well at an estate sale last Friday. I got the following items: box of Paslode ring shank sheathing nails, Estwing 16 oz leather handle claw hammer, Disston #7 (Disston Philada medallion, dead straight, full horns, dark blade w/faint etch), and the kicker of the lot was a #12 5.5pt rip, Disston Phila medallion, light staining on blade/clear etch, decent handle but short/chipped horns, professionally sharpened with teeth still covered with plastic coating, practically full width. Total outlay $30. I figured the ring shanks were worth that much so everything else was gravy.

Questions on the 12...How do the 5.5 rips fare in the resale market? The blade has a gentle bow-will this hurt performance? Should I use this saw or hang it up/sell it and find a common D8 ripper. Any other advice for care of this saw is appreciated. I'd post pictures but I don't have a camera available.

[Jonathan McCullough]

Nice. 5 1/2 is good for most big jobs. There are ways to get the bow out, it may or may not affect how well it works depending on how pronounced it is and the experience of the sawyer. Anecdotally, unless they're in far gone distress, No. 12s go for pretty good money, rip saws less so because fewer people use them I think.

[Pam Niedermayer]

You can't declare a "stealth gloat," because then it becomes non-stealth. :)

Pam

[David Weaver]

Who professionally sharpened it? A lot of local shops with foley machines don't really do a saw a lot of good.

Look up George's trick for getting the wave out of the saw.

Value of a #12 is condition, condition condition, as well as era and rarity of the pattern. The rip saws are fairly common and nice to use.

The question about that or a D8 depends on which style and handle orientation you like. They are significantly different feeling in the cut.