Tiny Disston Handsaw

[Larry McGarrah]

This is the smallest Disston saw I have seen. I am thinking it may have been a toybox saw? Does anyone know know anything about this 12 inch saw?

255839

[David Barnett]

This is the smallest Disston saw I have seen. I am thinking it may have been a toybox saw? Does anyone know know anything about this 12 inch saw?

255839

It's a Disston Buddy "L", Moline, Illinois, tool box saw for children. Surprising just how many of these there must be. It works, of course, but it's not taper-ground. Mine's just like it.

[Jim Koepke]

It's a Disston Buddy "L", Moline, Illinois, tool box saw for children.

If it is the Buddy "L" saw, my understanding is collectors will pay a lot for those as it is most commonly the missing component of their Buddy "L" tool box.

jtk

[Megan Fitzpatrick]

Hey - that's the perfect size for me! (I'm barely joking - my panel saws are only 6" longer...and I'd have preferred 16" long ones)

[Joe Bailey]

I'm not convinced that the OP's saw is a Buddy L. Check out one of my posts from last years on this subject:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?179683-My-newest-Buddy

[David Barnett]

I'm not convinced that the OP's saw is a Buddy L. Check out one of my posts from last years on this subject:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?179683-My-newest-Buddy

You are right, Joe. Sorry, Joe, Larry—my bad—I did not click on the thumbnail. And thanks for pointing out my error, Joe.

The earlier Disston No. 28 tool box saw was later re-conceived and marketed as the Buddy L and finally as the Disston American Boy Saw, all which are too often (and erroneously) called Buddy L saws.

Of the different versions/etchings, the Buddy L is often considered the most collectible due to crossover interest, but there are far more saws than tool boxes to go around so tend to be fairly low performers auction-wise, even among Buddy L collectors. There was even a presentation model with extra saw nuts and a darkened handle.

On looking again at my own example and comparing it with the blow-up of Larry's saw, mine has the the more detailed wheat handle with three saw nuts—clearly not the same. Again, sorry, Larry.

At one time, you couldn't swing a dead without hitting one of these in New England junk, 'antique' stores and swap meets when I lived there.

For an American Boy 'ad', scroll about half way down:

http://www.disstonianinstitute.com/ads.html

[Joe Bailey]

David,
So glad things unfolded the way they did in this thread, else I would never have gotten the information you shared on the Buddy L's.
Now I'm off to find one of those "presentation" models :)

[David Barnett]

David,
So glad things unfolded the way they did in this thread, else I would never have gotten the information you shared on the Buddy L's.
Now I'm off to find one of those "presentation" models :)

Kind of you to frame my gaffe so politely, Joe.

Here's a picture of a Buddy L presentation model saw. Even with the extra saw nuts, notice the less-detailed upper handle shape (notch) than previous standard-model Buddy L saws.

http://p2.la-img.com/27/22840/8006310_1_l.jpg

[Joe Bailey]

David,
Would the presentation saw be for Buddy L executives, and/or valued customers, or could it have been custom-etched for other organizations?
The look is reminiscent of the Victory saws which had rosewood handles and nickle-plated brass fasteners.