Anybody got any ideas of age

[harry strasil]

I have these two old Disstons, one rip and one crosscut, anybody have any idea of their age. The rip is 28 inches at the teeth and the crosscut 26 inches.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/oldsaws.jpg

The rip logo and medallion.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/rip1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/rip2.jpg

The Crosscut logo and medallion, the logo appears to be stamped not etched.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/crscut1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/crscut2.jpg

The nibs are both the same.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/nib.jpg

Saw handle
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/sawhandle.jpg

[Bob Noles]

OMG.... you are going to sell those to me aren't you? :D

What beauties!

[Mike Wenzloff]

Hi Harry,

Read all about it at The Disstonian Institute.

http://www.disstonianinstitute.com/8page.html

It would help to see a good shot of the handle...That said, it appears the medallion above is an early one, possibly the 1840s or '50s.

Take care, Mike

[harry strasil]

There are many tool collectors that would like to have them Bob, they are my demo users, I think they were made in the first few years Henry was in business, don't know for sure. Some say they are the oldest they have seen.
Luckily someone tried to sharpen them that did not know what they were doing and then when they wouldn't cut, just stored them I guess, anyway they are not filed away. I am still looking for an 8 tooth to make a full set.

[harry strasil]

Picture of handle added to the original post

[Bob Noles]

There are many tool collectors that would like to have them Bob, they are my demo users, I think they were made in the first few years Henry was in business, don't know for sure. Some say they are the oldest they have seen.
Luckily someone tried to sharpen them that did not know what they were doing and then when they wouldn't cut, just stored them I guess, anyway they are not filed away. I am still looking for an 8 tooth to make a full set.

Harry,

I was was only complimenting thru my dry humor.... I have a pretty good collection already on hand and actually use every one of them when I am in a neander mode. I love old saws about as much as Mike.... he just knows a heck of a lot more about them and is my mentor :p :D

[Mike Wenzloff]

Picture of handle added to the original post
It appears to be the blade of an 8, but the handle is from a No. 9, which were made from 1860 until 1914.

The eagle medallions began being phased out in the mid 1860s. Without taking the handle off there is no way to tell if the handle and blade are original to each other.

If they are original, it may well be someone ordered a No. 8 with the No. 9 handle.

Cool saw[s], Harry.

Take care, Mike

[harry strasil]

Mike, I had to take the handles off to clean them when I first got them. the handles have been there since day one I believe. and on the distonian site, the logo or stamp is older than the oldest one known on there.

The 10 tooth crosscut has some letters under the handle and one set is a very small HD, I can't remember what the others are, the rip with the Henry Disston arc stamp has nothing under the handle.

[harry strasil]

This is the logo stamping on the earliest known disston from the disstonian site and its seems evident my saw predates it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/1840sstamp.jpg

[Mike Wenzloff]

Hi Harry,

My thoughts are that the stamped logo on the one from the Disstonian is cruder and may indicate it is older. Yours looks more refined with additional elemental design.

Have you contacted Erik Sneidern form the Disstonian? Perhaps email him a link to this thread and he could weigh in? Just a thought.

They are old and possibly unique.

Take care, Mike

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Hi Harry,

My thoughts are that the stamped logo on the one from the Disstonian is cruder and may indicate it is older. Yours looks more refined with additional elemental design.

Have you contacted Erik Sneidern form the Disstonian? Perhaps email him a link to this thread and he could weigh in? Just a thought.

They are old and possibly unique.

Take care, Mike

Mike, I think you have that backwards. Harry's last post is a picture from the Disstonian site isn't it?

[harry strasil]

I was gonna say what Dennis just did, but yes I sent Erick an email with the url to this thread.

thank all of you, this is getting intriguing to say the least.:)

[Mike Wenzloff]

Mike, I think you have that backwards. Harry's last post is a picture from the Disstonian site isn't it?
Hi Dennis,

I don't think so--but I haven't had enough coffee this morning! But I think I have been refering to the CC saw as opposed to the rip.

The rip does look earlier.

As for the Crosscut:

The one in the last post, from the Disstonian, is a blocky looking lettering and lacks the Keystone logo.

The one in the first post from Harry's CC saw is more ornate and contains the Keystone logo. So I think it is at least 20 years "newer" than the rip.

Seems a flow of things would be form the coarser look to the more ornate. Henry didn't start using the Keystone logo at first--at least that's what I remember. Erv places the Keystone as a registered trademark in 1873, but the term Keystone saw works was on a cataloge in 1850.

The fact Harry's saw has the actual logo, including the scales of justice seems to say it is later than 1850 and possibly around 1873.

But as for the rip...it also has an earlier eagle on the medallion.

Can't wait for the answer/reply form Erik.

Take care, Mike

[harry strasil]

Mr. Strasil,

Two great saws. The rip saw is 20 years older than the crosscut.
The medallion on your rip saw is that same as the 1845 example
(2nd down) on the medallion page. I cannot tell from the photo
whether your rip is a model 7 or 8. It's easy for you to tell,
No. 7 has beechwood, No. 8 is applewood. Of course a stamp
on the blade near the Disston name will tell you that too.

The crosscut is very interesting to me. It is the first example of
a pre-son Disston handsaw I remember seeing with an etched,
rather than stamped, blade. All the one-son saws I can remember
have been etched. All the pre-son saw were stamped.
I suspected there were pre-son saws with an etch, and you've
just proved it to me. Your saw dates at or very close to 1865.

You can pass my response to the Sawmill Creek forum if you
like. May I use some of your photos?

Erik von Sneidern

(note: there is no number next to the name on the rip, and from the grain I think the rip handle is beech and the crosscut is apple.) jr.

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Well, now you know Harry. Owning a saw that old is kind a neat.

BTW, where do you live? I used to live in rural Sarpy county when I was stationed at Offutt AFB.

[Mike Wenzloff]

Well, kudos to Erik for the info--and like Dennis says, now you know!

Take care, Mike

[harry strasil]

about a 100 miles south at Falls City, Dennis