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View Full Version : Modified Disston No. 12 handsaw



Larry McGarrah
04-25-2012, 6:58 PM
This is a 1914-1927 Disston No. 12 handsaw I bought today. It has great wood and the blade is straight as an arrow and is shiny as a new saw except for a some minor rust spots. I knew it had been modified when I bought it but I couldn't pass on this beauty. It is also unusual with factory 12 ppi. Has anyone spotted the modification? It was modificed when new and not later in life.

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Deane Allinson
04-25-2012, 7:36 PM
The "let in" handle. Does it have an X under the tote?
Deane

Larry McGarrah
04-25-2012, 8:02 PM
Nope, it has a 2 under the handle. The blade was redrilled about 1 inch further in so there are 8 holes in the blade. Also the blade had to be notched to clear the hand grip. Other than that it is in untouched condition and is sharp as a razor. How bad does the modification effect the value?

Chris Vandiver
04-25-2012, 8:30 PM
The modification makes the saw much like a Disston #16, if not identical except for the extra tempering and hammer tensioning done on #12's. I believe that some time after 1917, the "X" was left off the blade(under the handle). Maybe some of the extra work that was done on #12's was too, but I don't know for sure.

I would expect that the value would be decreased by the modification. How much so is anybody's guess.

By the way, nice looking saw!