New acquisition -- Harvey Peace saw

[Michael Ray Smith]

Attached are pictures of a Harvey Peace saw that I bought from a guy who was getting ready for a garage sale. Cost me $2. I've checked out the information on Harvey Peace saws on Josh Clark's website http://www.hyperkitten.com/tools/hwpeace/ and discussed it with Josh by email. It might be a P47, but there's not enough of the etch to be sure. I can read "Vulcan," a few letters of "Brooklyn," and a few letters of "Ground" all in the correct places for the etch that Josh shows for a P47, but that's not the only model to use that etch. The reinforcing plate had a few flecks of nickel plating left, but they came off when I cleaned it. The blade is 26" long. The guy I bought it from said he had it professionally sharpened about 25 years ago, and it hasn't been touched with a file since them. As you can see, the lower horn on the handle is broken at -- ironically -- the place where the screw attaches the reinforcing plate. It broke off in at least two pieces, and the previous owner saved one of them, which I've temporarily glued in place. I've sanded the handle to remove some paint blotches and the remainder of the original finish.

My questions for y'all: (1) Should I replace the entire lower horn or should I try to piece something together using the original piece that I still have? (2) Any ideas about the type of wood I should use to repair the handle? Josh's site says that P47s had apple handles, but this doesn't look much like apple. He said that Harvey Peace also used mahogany, walnut, rosewood, and beech.


Mike

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[Jonathan McCullough]

My Peace saws have cherry handles. Despite my enthusiasm for those saws, that one looks just about used up. If you wanted to fix the handle, I'd clean up the break to flat surfaces and splice something inconspicuous in there, then stain it. Looks like the top horn needs some work too.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

looks kind of like rosewood to me, but I'm really bad at that game when it comes to judging just from pictures. (I'm not nearly as bad when I have the piece in my hands.) If it's the rosewood they used in old tool handles, you'll probably be able to tell by the smell if you've sanded to bare wood anywhere.

[Mike Allen1010]

Nice acquisition Michael -- for two dollars the price is certainly right!

I personally love the Harvey Peace saws and think their "Vulcan Forge" logo and reinforcing plate Make them unique.

It's hard to tell from the photographs, but it looks like the break in the lower horn and the missing piece are pretty significant. Not sure if it would solidly hold the screw for the reinforcing plate as it stands now.

If it were mine, I would definitely replace the lower horn. I guess it's a matter of personal opinion, but from a functional perspective I think it's important that the tote feel very "solid" in your hand if it's going to be a "user". Broken horns are so common in these vintage saws that repairing/replacing them is a good skill to have.

I can't tell from the photos, but the tote could be Apple -- it would be easier to identify if you could see some of the raw wood. The finish and accumulated patina on these vintage Apple totes can make them appear quite dark. For the repair, any tight grained dense hardwood would be a good choice -- you can find some apple that would be ideal, otherwise Beech, maple or Cherry all work well. I think the open pores in mahoganymight make it difficult to match well with the existing tote.

Good luck putting that one back to use -- thanks for sharing the pictures.

All the best, Mike

[Michael Ray Smith]

My Peace saws have cherry handles. Despite my enthusiasm for those saws, that one looks just about used up. If you wanted to fix the handle, I'd clean up the break to flat surfaces and splice something inconspicuous in there, then stain it. Looks like the top horn needs some work too.

Yes, the top horn needs some work, too, but I don't think I'll replace it. I think I'll just smooth it out.