Workers Of Wood

I bought a bunch of saws at the auction last week. There was a Disston backsaw in the group I thought might be worth a bit. There were several other Disston saws as well. A 10 point finishing saw may turn out to be pretty good once cleaned up. The backsaw I've managed to date to at least as far back as 1917 by it's medallion. I think it's the medallion that was used between 1896 and 1917 but I'll have to compare it to the reference I found a little more closely to be sure. It needs jointing and sharpening but I think it will make a nice saw when done. I took a photo of the etched logo and part of it reads "For Mechanics Not Botchers". That was probably meant to imply that the saw was high quality but it's humorous too.

The other saw I'm including pictures of I can't find a reference to. It has a curved tip with teeth a little over halfway along the top of the blade. I think I've seen one before but I can't be sure. It has the Disston Keystone Saw Works logo etched onto the blade so I think that puts it as being made before 1955 when Disston sold out to HK Porter. It has a bolt with wing nut holding the blade on and the blade will mount in either orientation in the handle.

I'm hoping someone is familiar with it and knows the proper name for it. Usually a curved saw edge like that is for starting blind cuts in panels or boards but searching for Disston panel saws turns up other types that bear no resemblance.

I have never seen a saw quite like the curved nose one. It looks like a custom made saw to enlarge holes, by either enlarging them up, or down, then turning the saw over to finish the cut.
Herb

I remember seeing saws like that in several different industrial sized meat processing operations...
they were used for de-boning...

I think you are right on,now that you mention it. So have I seen those and the wing nut seals the ID. That is for easy cleaning.
Herb

The wing nut as opposed to standard saw nut is a plausible theory for that being a meat saw. The stud on the medallions wasn't as strong as the regular bolts so that may be why it isn't one. I thought it was so you could turn the handle upside down but I tried that and it didn't really make the upper part of the blade any easier to use in that position. The reason I thought it might have been for cutting in the middle of panels or boards is because it's shaped like the Japanese azebiki (pictured below) and that's what they are for. I bought one off a guy a year or so ago and they work well for that purpose.

I tried a search for Disston meat saws but all I came up with was the standard hacksaw style meat saw. Maybe I can find some old Disston catalogs that have it in it. I thought the backsaw was the hidden gem but maybe it was the curved tip saw.

Right again .(You know who).
Just saying.
Herb

I have a butcher's saw but it is similar to this one.

Found this.

There is one at this site but they don't seem to know what it is either.

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/ ... d-52729061

Possibly a flooring saw? Undercut jambs?

That is the saw Dan. That's exactly what mine looks like with the handle off. I turned the blade over on mine to see if it would too and it will but it feels weird with the handle not being in the centerline of the blade. I did find one more piece of info on the blade. It has a patent date of Nov 2, 1909. I could try doing a patent search now that I know when it happened. The patent might describe it's intended purpose and would give a buyer some context if I decide to sell it.

Did you try querying Disston? You'd think they'd have a small in-house museum(?)...

I finally found it. Handy Dan got it. It was a flooring saw.

"The D-19 Flooring Saw was sold from about 1914 until 1955. The handle is adjustable to allow the saw to either crosscut in the usual fashion or be used to start a cut in the middle of a floorboard while it is still down, using the curved side of the blade. The adjustable handle was patented in 1909, and similar hardware was used on "nest of saw" kits, which featured a single handle with numerous blades; plumber's saws; and the No. 14 backsaw. For a short time before the introduction of the D-19 flooring saw, there was a D-18 flooring saw model with a conventional handle and a large, bellied blade that could start a cut in the middle of a situated floorboard. The D-18 appears in the 1911 catalog." Copied from the Disstonian Institute website.

The original Disston ad, a little fuzzy and grainy, I had to enlarge it: