New to me saws

[Tim Best]

Simonds No 7 Rip 5 1/2 ppi (top) & Disston D-8 Crosscut 10 ppi circa 1940s

Fifty years ago I suspect that nearly everyone had similar saws in their tool box so this is not a tool gloat because there is nothing inherently special about these two saws. They are both 80+ years old, feel great in my hand, track beautifully (even though I am hamfisted by nature), and cut better than I ever could have imagined. Even after I fell down the hand tool rabbit hole, I did not enjoy hand sawing the way I enjoyed using other hand tools. I can push a plane all day without regret (well maybe some regret the day after, but not much.) Hand sawing? Nah, was not for me. My sentiment changed today. Hand sawing is still laborious, but having saws they were actually made to do the work, make it a much more pleasurable experience.

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[Aaron Rosenthal]

Tim, today I had a small job to do for a client; I needed to cut a dado into 2 pieces of construction lumber and put a shelf into place.
I have all the power tools needed, but it was just easier to get my crosscut saw and clamp a guide, and do the cuts.. cut to depth with the router plane... cut the shelf pieces and the dimension with a rip saw & wooden fore plane.
Saved time, had a bit of a workout, and the tools made an acceptable job easy.
It DOES feel good, doesn't it?

[Jim Koepke]

Those look like a pair of nice saws.

When you get to be an old timer you will be glad for the exercise. My gym is closed due to a pandemic going around.

It has been awhile since ripping some pieces of ash:

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That is a D-8 with 6ppi. It took me 15 minutes to rip a 10' piece of 4/4 ash.

jtk

[Eric Rathhaus]

very nice. Patrick Leach always says that Simonds made the best handsaws.

[lowell holmes]

See this site.

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

[Tim Best]

Aaron:
It does feel good and sounds good.

Jim:
My observation exactly. I needed some cardio (I’m less likely to run in the evenings when it gets “cold” here.) Also, ripping and resawing a piece of pine didn’t take long.

Eric:
Rob at Loon Lake tool works says the same thing. I think the same phrase might be on Pete Taran’s website too. I’m starting to think they may be on to something :)

[Phil Mueller]

Congrats Tim! A good saw makes all the difference. You have two nice ones there. Enjoy!

[Andrew Seemann]

Be careful about leaving those saws together. They appear to breed. I started out with a couple, now I have at least a dozen or so. I'm not quite sure how that happened:)