Another Disston D8 ID Question

[Mark R Webster]

I picked up a D8 Disston handsaw yesterday and I am having trouble deciding if it is from 1940-47 or 1947-53. The Disstonian site shows two profiles for the 1 inch medallion, Mine is 1" but I can't determine which profile mine is between the two. It also says the later range has nickel plating for the D8 but I don't know how to determine that. As far as the handle, it said the later date range could be made of beech rather than apple. How can you tell the difference in the two woods, they look the same to me? The handle feels quite light. Anyway here are a couple of pics. The handle has a stain on it.

344134344135344136

[Rich Riddle]

Mark, I am in the same boat with you in determining the year, but if you call it a 1947 model, you'd be safe. Maybe Mike Allen will come in and offer some insights. He rebuilds lots of these units.

[Brent Cutshall]

It's 1940-1947, sorry Mike!

[Mark R Webster]

It doesn't seem that the profiles displayed on the Disstonian web site are "accurate" to me. Maybe I am not understanding what they are trying to display. To me, the shape looks symmetrical in the later version but it looks like the inside curve should drop more quickly. ???
Thanks Rich.

[Mark R Webster]

Hi Brent, why do you think so... :) I am asking to be educated:)

[Jim Koepke]

The 40-47 medallion appears to have a shear wall, without curvature, on the inside. The 47-53 is rounded on the inside.

Yours looks to be rounded.

jtk

[Pete Taran]

There is no question this is from the later production. Even though I published the first type study based on medallions back in 1996, I've since decided while you can date stuff generally, it's not to be used for precision. Factories didn't realize they would be held to account 75 years later for type studies!

Having said that, the thing that tells me this is the latest production is that the handle is made of beech. That was done in the last gasps of the company, well after the war.

Hope this helps.

Pete

[Brent Cutshall]

I have a D-8 exactly like that from those dates and I have no idea how I figured out what date it was from, but I think it was the Disstonian site so I don't if I'm accurate or not.

[Mark R Webster]

Sorry to be uninformed but how can you tell the beech from the apple? :)

[Dave Beauchesne]

Sorry to be uninformed but how can you tell the beech from the apple? :)
Beech will usually have more discernible medullary rays.
Dave B

[Mark R Webster]

Thanks guys for all the input!

[Phil Mueller]

I'm no wood species expert, but refer to wood data base website from time to time. A bit difficult once stained/finished, but here's what the site shows:

Apple:
344169

American Beech:
344170

European Beech:
344171

[John Vernier]

On the original post, photo 1, the medullary rays of beech can best be seen on the inside of the handle grip, where the rounding of the grip has been routed in. The pale diagonal lines visible there are the medullary rays. It's much more subtle than with oak, but apple doesn't show ray fleck to speak of.

[Mark R Webster]

Very helpful guys thanks!!