Info in brass backed Richardson Brothers saw

[Daniel Kratville]

Hi everyone, I was at my in laws house this Christmas and helping with cleaning/organizing the garage and found this saw amongst the detritus. It is a brass backed Richardson Bros. dovetail saw. Cleaned off the grime a bit. The etch is partially readable and says Mechanics Prides Requires No Set Warranted To Cut Smooth. There is a 77 stamped beneath the handle in the steel. I've read the WK Fine tools web site and it doesn't have a lot to say about brass backed saws. Anyone on here know anything about this one? I think I will have it sharpened and try using it. I am learning to sharpen but learning on this one seems like a bad idea.

Dan

[Jim Koepke]

Daniel,

Welcome to the Creek. Your profile doesn't indicate a location. Where on this spinning ball of mud to you call home?

Did you try Googling > richardson brothers company newark, nj <?

Lee Valley had one of their saws on a catalog cover and subsequent information in one of their newsletters.

http://www.leevalley.com/us/newsletters/Woodworking/5/1/patents.htm

Looking at the tooth line on yours, it would be difficult for you to make it much worse. One of my old saws looks like that and the plate is a bit brittle when it comes to setting teeth. Pitting can do that. Using it with no set seems to be the way to go for dovetail cutting.

jtk

[David Weaver]

It's a no-set saw, one that's taper ground (which is uncommon for a backsaw). If it remains fairly straight, that is a fine find you have. Looks like the teeth will need considerable work, but I've seen worse.

If I were in your shoes (well, I'd sharpen it myself, so this is instead what I'd do if I wasn't comfortable doing that...), I'd send it to daryl weir to be sharpened, and I'd have him sharpen it flat (no sloped gullets), as some of the stuff the high end sharpeners are doing is, in my opinion, posturing that does you no good if you don't personally want to sharpen with sloped gullets, etc - and if you're beginning, you want Daryl to put something on it you can refresh yourself.

Strange that it's the same model (77) as disston used on their no-set saws.

[Daniel Kratville]

Thanks for the info guys. It is very straight which surprised me too when I pulled it out of the pile of junk. I will contact Daryl and see if he can help me out. I've seen some of his saws and they are great. Thanks for the help guys. I live in Sacramento, CA. I'll get my profile finished.

[george wilson]

WHY is no one building a no set backsaw??? Sounds like a good idea,though it might have to have a thickish blade to grind a decent taper into it.