who sharpens your handsaws?

[Ryan Hovis]

I cannot find anyone in my area that sharpens handsaws, I just refinished the handle on my ancient Disston, blade is in nice shape and it's going to make a nice saw once it's sharp. Those who do not have a local sharpener, where do you send them?

[David Weaver]

See Bob Smalser's tutorial on sharpening saws on here. If the teeth are just dull and haven't been sharpened 20 times without jointing, then you can just follow the tutorial. If you don't have a sawset, you'll need to get one.

You'll also need files. If you're using back saws, you'll have trouble finding the sizes you need. If you're just talking about a carpenters saw, then you can find the files at any hardware store or BORG or Lowes.

You can also get good tutorials on sharpening from Leonard Lee's book on sharpening.

Just search on Bob Smalser's posts on here or search his name on google and you'll find saw sharpening tutorials.

[Michael Pilla]

I haven't used them yet but Cooke's Sharpening in York PA comes highly recommended. They have a website, it's their name and dot com.

hth,
Michael

[John Powers]

Ryan, your only 25 so you do have time to learn to sharpen yourself. I'm 60 and have to concentrate my remaining brain cells elsewhere so I send my saws to Steve Cooke in York PA. He does great work, fast turn around. Made a excellent saw out of the trashpicked Airmaster I sent him along with two others. Practically a local boy to you and me.

[Don Orr]

I taught myself to sharpen my own handsaws using the tutorial on vintage saws dot com. Tons of good info there and supplies as well. I practiced on an old junker first. I was lucky to get a saw vise and jointer from my FIL. It has to be pretty easy if even a TURNER can do it:eek: :D . I have not done back saws yet though.

[Tony Zaffuto]

John,

60 is not to old to learn to sharpen! I'll be 55 next week, and I sharpened my first handsaw this past winter. Far, far easier than many of the writings make it out to be.

Pick a rip saw, get a vise, and take your time on the first one and go to it!

I've got to add, that I still use Steve Cooke (now that Tom Law doesn't sharpen anymore). Steve does a very good job, at a fair price. Last saw I had him do, was last year, when I sent a 8" dovetail saw (Freud ??) that I made a new handle for. Had him re-tooth the saw to 14 ppi and sharpen. Cuts as good as my Adria. But, I would still try sharpening. Worse you'll do is have to send it out!

[Bob Smalser]

http://cookessharpening.com/

$15.00 a saw and an additional $7.50 for retoothing if required. Prices on request for advanced restoration work. Excellent reputation too.

That's cheap. Even using machines, I don't know how they remain in business.

There's nothing wrong with machine work except power setting, which is nicely uniform but puts too sharp a bend in the tooth. Try paring wood efficiently into a clean, flat surface using a corner chisel sometime and see what I mean. If you're having it done, I'd recommend having him retooth (with a crowned breast) if necessary....if there's a lot of jointing to be done he'll probably insist....and machine file the saw as is without set. Then you buy a Somax sawset and do it yourself. You don't need a saw vise to set the saw.

Then once you have a properly-sharpened saw, learning how to do it yourself is relatively easy becase all you have to do is match the existing angles. Success on an abused saw with misshapen teeth that'll lose half of them fixing the joint is impossible without considerable experience.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/9131162/238005847.jpg

One done right'll also teach you what you're looking for. Teeth with points so sharp they cut skin are nice, but in the process did the filer go past filing to the joint and shorten several teeth? You can sight down a fresh saw and actually see the teeth that are too short. Mark them with chalk and lay a straight edge on them to confirm. Better to have a few tiny flats left from jointing than to overfile and produce several short teeth that don't work along with their mates. Saws fresh from the retoother need jointing too, so be skeptical of anyone who says short teeth aren't a problem using machines. The machine can't see the size of the jointed flat it's filing to.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/17430481/270960325.jpg

And here's the biggie. Don't buy a saw that isn't "dead straight" to the on-line seller's eye. And the ones that are or at a flea market, flex them into a circle in both directions and see if they remain straight. Lotsa sellers think straightening them over their knee, in a vise, or with...shudder....a hammer... fixes the saw. It doesn't for long without also fixing the saw's tension, and that's not a common skill these days. Cooke's probably can.

[Ryan Hovis]

Ryan, your only 25 so you do have time to learn to sharpen yourself. I'm 60 and have to concentrate my remaining brain cells elsewhere so I send my saws to Steve Cooke in York PA. He does great work, fast turn around. Made a excellent saw out of the trashpicked Airmaster I sent him along with two others. Practically a local boy to you and me.

Haha, I'm handy with a lot of things, a file 'aint one of them. Thanks for the reference, I might send him the blades off the other two saws I am making new handles for too.

[Alex Carrera]

I just talked to the guy at Cookes. He seemed really sharp, and he said that he sharpens them by hand. I'm going to be packing some up and sending them out soon. I'll reply with my results.

[Greg Crawford]

I can throw a rock at 50, and I just got my first hand saws and will get my own files and learn to do my own. If you do a little research, you will find you can sharpen your own saw for your own style and needs. Files aren't too expensive either.

http://www.vintagesaws.com/file/file.html

However you choose, enjoy.

[jonathan snyder]

I just talked to the guy at Cookes. He seemed really sharp

No pun intended!!!! Sorry I could not resist that.

I have not tackled saw sharpening yet. I just don't have time. I need to concentrate on becoming proficient at sawing first. With what little time I have, I want to work wood, not saws.

I have sent a couple of saws to Steve Cooke, and have been happy with the results. I have only had one saw sharpened elsewhere so I don't have much to compare to. There is at least one fellow over on woodnet who sharpens saws. I really don't know much about him, he is in California.

Jonathan

[Alex Carrera]

Wow, I didn't even realize I did that. Working too much I guess. BTW - I have sharpened on of my saws by hand, I just find it to be one of the most tedious tasks I've ever attempted.

[lowell holmes]

I can throw a rock at 71, and I sharpen my Lie Nielsen saws. :-)
I'll be going to a green wood windsor chair class next month.

Highland Hardware and Lee Valley both have the 4" dbl slim taper files. I have no affiliation with either store.

[John Borgwardt]

I cannot find anyone in my area that sharpens handsaws, I just refinished the handle on my ancient Disston, blade is in nice shape and it's going to make a nice saw once it's sharp. Those who do not have a local sharpener, where do you send them?
I have been in contact with a gentleman named Marv Werner. Marv sells reconditioned saws on ebay. His ebay name is marvco64. His saws are all sharpened and ready for use. He must do a great job sharpening as he has a 6 week waiting time. You can email Marv at werner161@ mchsi.com
:D

[harry strasil]

me, an old saw vice, a magnifier with a built in light and one of several old file holder jigs, I tried the local saw sharpener, ended up redoing them myself when they didn't perform. local carpenter who still uses some hand tools tried one of my saws, now I sharpen his too. LOL

[Nancy Laird]

One of the members here, Scott Whiting in Scottsdale, AZ, also has a sharpening service. You might try contacting him, also.

Nancy (92 days)

[Ryan Hovis]

I have been in contact with a gentleman named Marv Werner. Marv sells reconditioned saws on ebay. His ebay name is marvco64. His saws are all sharpened and ready for use. He must do a great job sharpening as he has a 6 week waiting time. You can email Marv at werner161@ mchsi.com
:D

I am more interested in sharpening the ones I have. Two really nice ones stand out, an old Stanley and an older Disston, once those two are sharp I should be set. I'll have a total of about 10 handsaws once I'm done, if I buy any more it will be purely out of collecting interest.

Turning out walnut handles at the rate of one a day, should be able to re-handle my cheaper Craftsman saws too, will post results once they're all done.

[Kevin French]

Ryan check your local hardware stores, check the yellow pages. In the end find the shop and deal with him one on one.

[George Sanders]

While prowling the nether regions of a junk/antique store I found a Disston saw vise and a pristine Disston saw catalog/manual. This manual has invaluable advise on sharpening. I also bought several cant files at an auction and picked up an Atkins saw jointer at a flea market for $2 with the condition that I tell the vendor what it was. Other auction items were several saw sets and an old Foley saw sharpener with the manual. I didn't go broke buying any of this stuff. I haven't gotten the Foley set up yet as I have been too busy doing everything but what I want to do.
I can sharpen a D-8 without any trouble but I will have to have someone with better eyesight sharpen my finer toothed saws.

[Philip Duffy]

I sharpen them myself. It is not rocket science, just plain ole good handwork, and the learning curve is almost flat. Phil

[harry strasil]

FWIW, I use an I think disston no 2 saw vice that has the part on top that hold the file at the right angles to get consistant teeth. I also have 2 other style saw file holders that just set on the teeth and you move them along as you file. The advantage to the diston vise with the holder on top is you can also set the depth.
This one is advertised on that place we not supposed to mention at the moment and it looks complete except for the file handle.

[Mike Bayerl]

I have the good fortune to live about 45 min. from Steve. He's a really cool guy. He's been kind enough to give me enough pointers on sharpening so, that I can do my own now. I still let him sharpen my finer backsaws though. He's clearly not making his living sharpening handsaws. He's just a vintage saw nut.

[Matt Chantry]

Mark Grable is a Metate, which means he is qualified to sharpen Japanese saws, but he also does Western style. From everything I've read, he's excellent.

Instruction on sending him your saws can be found here:

http://www.daikudojo.org/Links/mark_grable_saw_sharpening_service.html

Matt