Questions on getting western saws

[Jared McMahon]

The prices I've paid and variety I've seen is solidly in line with David's earlier post. Most of mine have come from antique/junk shops or flea markets. I got a Keystone K-4 (Disston second-tier make) for $1 on eBay simply because it was the minimum bid and nobody else bothered. The only saw I've paid good money for is one I never plan to use, it's an older looking table saw stamped "J. McMahon, London" that I bought as a vanity purchase.

I'll go out on a limb and give some rough criteria for things to look for in a junk shop saw:
- Is it pretty much straight? Or if kinked, only at the tip?
- Is it missing no more than a handful of teeth? A few gone aren't a deal-breaker.
- Is it thicker at the tooth line than at the top side (taper-ground)? Generally a good sign.
- Is the handle blocky and junky looking? Or more ornate? Ornate isn't a guarantee of quality, but it points toward it.

I'll also say, don't be afraid to mix and match. If the saw plate is good, you can make a replacement handle. If a $5 saw is bent like a pretzel and has a handle that looks like it's been used as a dog toy, it's still a good deal if it has saw nuts you can scavenge and re-purpose.

I recently did an inventory and I have more saws than I can reasonably justify. If you want to PM me your info, I can mail you a couple.

[David Weaver]

Oh yeah, I forgot one. A huge 3 1/2 to 6 ppi variable very old bakewell rip saw that was on ebay for $6 (as in it pretty much gradually goes from 6 at the toe to 3 1/2 at the heel). I would love to find a proper sunken medallion for it. Some jerkazoid ripped the medallion out of it and I've never seen another one.

I don't have all of the saws I listed earlier, either. Just a typical price list. I've found my favorites and am pretty much done with it. It's up to everyone to do that on their own, I guess. For working saws, it's nice to have a couple that you like, they're a lot like razors to me. If you keep an eye on the edge (or teeth in the case of saws), maintenance is little and pleasure is lots.

[Christian Castillo]

PM sent to you Fitzhugh, I live in Hayward and I can set you up with saws that are guaranteed winners ( straight, wide plate, teeth in tact and well shaped, early 1900s Disston 7 or 12s).

[Fitzhugh Freeman]

This is a fantastic source of information, thank you all! It's taken the mystery out of how to start, made it no longer a black box. Of course I have to do the real learning by hand and feel, but that part is fun.

Brian and Nathan - I'll let Nathan take it for the simple reason that he asked first, plus I already spent my woodworking funds this month and might have to sleep in the workshop if another package with a pointy piece of metal arrived in the mail. Thank you for the offer. I agree with Nathan, I'd much rather get one from someone here than on ebay.

A few months ago I saw maybe 10 saws at the local construction and everything else reuse depot but realized I had NO idea how to even begin parsing them out. This info - the price ranges, things to check, sources on learning more and sharpening info, offers to send saws - it has made it seem within reach.

Thanks!

[Mike Allen1010]

Fitz, you should consider taking Christian up on his offer- he's in your area and he really knows his saws