Looking for a nice matching set of Rip and Crosscut Hand Saws

[James Curry]

Any suggestions?
I need to make a few 5” tenon and other cuts in thick stock, and I don’t have a BS yet. They are too deep to do on the TS. So, I was thinking, this might be a good opportunity to pick up some hand saws.
I’d like to get a nice matching set. I wish I had my grandfather’s old saws, but they’re long gone. That doesn’t mean I can’t have a couple saws my grandchildren would like to inherit.

[Bill Space]

Perhaps if you ask the question in the Neanderthal forum you may get some helpful advice...

[Steve Southwood]

Lie-Nielsen is probably as close as you can get to matched set that I can think of. I'm thinking panel saw length as well. Bad Axe might be another place to look

[Scott Winners]

You might ougtha talk to Pete at vintagesaws.com . He goes by Pete Taran here.

I have a hard time justifying more than five saws of the not backed variety. Never mind tenon saws and dovetail saws and so on with the weighty metal backs on them, the back saws; just among hand saws, you might have a coarse and fine rip saw (say 4 or 5 and 8 teeth per inch +/-) and a coarse and fine crosscut, say 8 and 10-11-12 teeth per inch, and one in betweeny saw at something like the "hybrid" grind at Bad Axe --- and you will have a hard time convincing me you need a sixth saw saw for some reason those five can't handle.

I am really trying. I don't do as much actual wood work as a lot of folks here; as much as I love stopping by while I am on hold on my blue tooth headset it isn't the same as being in an antique store looking at a real ____, knowing what it is for and having a project to use it for.

You might consider a full set of "K" saws, they are second label Disstons, and really good tools. I have two of the K-2 "Pacemaker" with the two runners on them. FWIW my last day jogging was my last day in the Navy, but IIRC the K series went from K-1 to K-5 with a speedboat and a biplane among the plate art along with the joggers. Maybe a racecar c. 1930? They are a way better saw than current market prices would imply; if I can see it is a K saw that otherwise needs total rehab but I can bring it home for $20 with good wood I snag it and enough etch on the plate to know what it is. Once sharpened and buffed these are good saws even though they don't say "Disston" anywhere.

Another option, really good steel, would be Disston D-8s (with the hyphen). There is a blue million of them out there and they are awesome. And there is others too. Talk to Pete.

[Tom M King]

Don't be tricked into buying any that aren't taper ground, no matter how fancy they look, or whose name is on them.

[David Dalzell]

I don't know if you are looking for new or used saws. If new, then I can recommend "ADRIA". I have a matched set of cross and rip tenon saws from them (him?). They work quite well.

[Mike Manning]

Don't be tricked into buying any that aren't taper ground, no matter how fancy they look, or whose name is on them.

For the uneducated at it pertains to hand saws, why is that Tom?

[Tom M King]

Often the term "handsaw" is taken to mean a backsaw to a lot of woodworkers. To me, a handsaw is a handsaw, which is about 26" long and no back. Backsaws don't need to be taper ground. Handsaws do, or they would at least require more set to keep it from binding in the cut, which would give any cut more resistance. I'm sure Pete can explain it better than I can, but it's probably somewhere on his website.

edited to add: Personally, I don't like Panel Saws for anything. Even my 24" Sandvik rip saw is a little bit aggravatingly short, and I'm not a tall person.

[Jim Matthews]

Check your private messages.

[Jim Koepke]

Check your private messages.

Do non-contributors still have private messages?

Someone has a handsaw for sale in the SMC Classifieds. They seem to show up often.

jtk

[lowell holmes]

Look on the auction site. It is the best source.

You might google Disston .

http://www.disstonianinstitute.com/

[Thomas McCurnin]

Badaxe Saws will make anything you want. Very pricey.

[Stew Denton]

James,

There are some great, but expensive options listed above, but my road has been like some suggested above, a pair of Disstons, and particularly D-8s, for the reasons listed above, that they are good saws and there are tons of them around so finding 2 that are virtually identical should not be difficult. I like the pre-1928 versions better than the later ones, and particularly the ones from the late 1800s to early 1900s. You should be able to buy a couple that are virtually dead matches for each other, in pretty nice shape for about $40 each on the auction site. These are not the show piece variety, but clean, straight, and shined up a bit.

At a flea market they should be a lot less. If you don't mind sweat equity to end up with nice saws you should be able to buy them for about $15 each or less.

You want one that is dead straight with no kinks or bends, and if they don't list one a such, you have to ask the seller if you are looking on the auction site.

The etch of the pre-1928 variety has a small "8" inside a big "D" the ones after 1928 has a dash between a "D" and and "8," as "D-8." The ones made prior to but close to the 1928 date seem to have a heavier finish, and the grip on the handle is not as nicely shaped. The earlier ones have a grip in the handle that is almost completely oval, with very small to no "flat" on the grip area.

You should be able to find two that are virtually identical fairly easily. However, it is unlikely to find both of them at the same time and place. You will need to be able to recognize the time period you want. This can be done by study of the Disston Institute and by looking at and handling lots of D-8s. The institute has a section on dating the saw by the medallion. The medallion of the saws between 1896 and 1917 are the ones I would look for. These D-8s are very good saws, Disston made better ones like the 12s, but the D-8s are good.

For what you are wanting them for, I would recommend a 6 to 8 point rip for the tongue (I love my 7 point rip) and a 12 point crosscut for the shoulders. What you will probably find are mostly 26" 8 point cross cuts, because that's what the carpenters were going to buy as a first saw, and home owners and farmers bought the same thing. You will probably have to have them re-toothed to get a matched pair, but you could get lucky and find exactly what you want.

Re-toothing an 8 point crosscut to an 8 point rip should be fairly easy to do, and might serve you well for the rip saw. My first saw which I bought a little less than 50 years ago was one of the ones from 1896 to 1917, I bought it at an auction and restored it, and still use it....very good saw.

You will not be disappointed with the D-8s.

Stew