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Saws

Buying antique tools by mail can be fraught with risk, because of all of the hidden problems that tools might have. Even in person, these problems are sometimes missed, and even new tools sometimes have functionality issues. However, I don’t believe that there is any type of tool that is more problematic to buy remotely than a saw. If a saw is kinked, it is really not worth picking up of the ground, and 9 out of ten saws that I see have a kink or other bend that makes them none-functional. Often, I see these same saws bought by colleagues, and then offered for sale as “straight” usable saws. I don’t think that they are being dishonest, I just don’t think that they do enough woodworking themselves to really know. If we say that a usable, you can be assured that it is. All of our saws will have straight, usable, blades, unless we state otherwise. Most of them will need at least a light sharpening. Rarely will they need setting. It takes a lot of sharpenings before you really need to set the saw teeth.

I believe that learning to sharpen your own saws is a basic skill that all woodworkers should possess, and we offer all of the files that you might need in our new tool department, as well as a DVD by Tom Law that explains it all very well. However, if you feel that you are not ready for this, or just don’t want to bother, there are few places that will do a great job of sharpening a vintage saw. Do not, and I repeat, do not, take the saw to a local saw service. They will remove the handle and put the saw in a machine. Note that saws need to be sharpened regularly, so sending the saw out every time it gets dull is really not a practical solution. Sharpening a saw is not rocket science. Anyone can do it well with just a bit of practice and some patience.

J. V. Hill, Late Howel, London

SA120177 J. V. Hill, Late Howel, London An early London brass-backed tenon carcass saw, with a 14" blade and a very heavy back typical of this maker. The end of the upper handle spur is broken with a ragged edge. The handle has blotchy patina from a poor cleaning job and the back is polished. The blade is not straight, although I think that an expert could straighten it. It is an old saw and worth the effort. Good $59



Henry Disston & Sons Henry Disston & Sons Henry Disston & Sons

SA120147 Henry Disston & Sons A 4 1/2TPI Disston 28" D8 rip saw. This is an early example with 5 separate patent dates on the handle. The handle does not have a chip on it and the blade is bright, except for a few small spots. The etching is totally clear. The etched side is marginally better than the back side on this saw. I doubt that this saw was ever sharpened. For the collector or connoisseur user. G++ Sold



Unmarked

SA120151 Unmarked A good cast iron American saw vice of around 1900. As found and needs a light cleaning. G+ $58






Disston

SA120114 Disston This is a perhaps unused 26" Disston D-7 5 1/2 TPI rip saw from the 1950s. It was made in the Danville VA plant. This saw just needs a light cleaning with a white pad and wax. The handle is not pretty, but the blade is tapered better than any new saw, and this will still outperfom any similar saw made today. No saw made today is properly tapered. G++ Sold





Antique Saw

SA1112257 Henry Disston & Sons, Philada A 12 inch back saw with a slightly tapering blade as is more commonly seen on earlier saws. 14TPI. Dark but not rusty. There are chips from the upper and lower handle spurs. The blade is not dead straight but it is close, as good as the new reproduction saws that we used to sell. It will make a good user. G+ $48



Antique Saw

SA1112218 The Bay State Saw Mfg Co A nice as found 10" carcass saw with 14 TPI. It has a hang hole drilled at the end of the blade and it is dull, but this will make a great user. It should clean up to better than G+ $65



Antique Saw Antique Saw

SA1112228 Disston, USA An apparently unused D-100, "Buck Rogers" panel saw, 8 point 26". This was a high-end Disston saw in the 1930s and is still better than any new saw today. This one is sharp and ready to use or collect. There are some light scratches on the aluminum handle, at its outer protrusion, from touching another saw. Nothing to worry about. Also a few light scratches on the walnut handle. A few scattered patches on the blade, but overall as clean as they come. Cheaper than an inferior new saw. For the serious collector or connoisseur user. Fine $195



Antique Saw

SA111252 Alex Mathieson & Sons Ld, Liverpool A 14" brass-backed saw with a nice clean blade and a damage free handle. I have not seen this Liverpool mark before and I didn't even realize that Mathieson had a Liverpool connection. The back has been polished, but not buffed up. The orignal marks are still on the brass and it will tone down nicely. A great user or collector's piece. G+ $149



Antique Saw

SA111124 Drabble & Sanderson, Sheffield An 18TPI 8 inch dovetail saw. Pretty sharp and usable as it stands. There is one sliver of wood missing from the lower spur, but it is still a very nice handle. The blade is not perfectly straight, but it as close as the new saws that we sell and will work fine. G+ $59



Antique Saw

SA111078 C. Nurse & Co An 8" brass-backed dovetail saw, 15 TPI. Overcleaned in the English way, but still a good user. Blade is nearly perfectly straight, better in fact than most of the new American made saws that we used to sell. Plenty fine to use. It just needs sharpening. The teeth don't look like they have been jointed and they are pretty uneven, but really it doesn't matter on a small saw like this. I would just file it as it is. Good Sold



Antique Saw

SA111032 H. H. Swan & Son, Ltd A 12" brass-backed saw with a relatively deep three inch capacity, 12 TPI. A relatively modern saw, probably made in the 1950s. Nice quality but without the pizazz of an earlier saw. A great user. Steel was at a real quality high around this time. Almost sharp enough to use as it is, must needs a very light touch up. G+ $79



Antique Saw

SA110916 W. Cresson, Philada, Cast Steel A very rare small sized table saw by a rare Philadelphia maker. This saw has a 14" blade and is very straight except for a slight bend towards the end. These saws were made to leave in the tool tray of a workbench and are quite scarce. Cresson is a rare maker in his own right. The first one of this size, and the first one by Cresson, that I have seen. G+ $245



Antique Saw

SA110664 Taylor Brothers, Best Cast Steel A 12" keyhole saw with a nice original blade. The blade has a slight bend out near the end where it doesn't matter. The handle has a great look that I have only seen before on Philadelphia made saws. I wonder who was copying who. It is sharp and usable although the teeth are not as evenly formed as they might be. G++ $65



Antique Saw

SA110533 H. Disson & Sons A 10" back saw with 11 PPI. The handle is applewood and damage free. The logo is the one that collector's call the worm logo. This saw is 99% straight. Not utterly perfect, but close. It will be fine to use. It could be made perfect by retensioning the blade. It does need a light sharpening, but only a few passes on each tooth. This would be a good saw to learn to sharpen on, since it does not need much. G+ $68



Antique Saw

SA110519 Henry Disston & Sons Catalog An original 120 page Disson catalog from 1932 with its match 1932 trade price booklet. I don't recall ever seeing both of these together before. Business was at its worst in 1932 and they probably did not print a lot of these. The price booklet is in Fine condition and the catalog is nice and I rate it G++ $185



Antique Saw

SA110361 Unmarked Fret Saw A lovely American fret saw. I think that the body is birch and the handle is cherry, but I would not stake my reputation on it. Superb untouched condition. A true connoisseur's tool. Fine $265





Antique Saw

SA1102101 J. Buck, London A scarce 7" size brass-backed dovetail saw. The teeth are very fine, 20 PPI. The blade is not perfectly straight, but nor is it kinked and it is usable as it is. Still, priced well below what I would have asked it if was our usual dead straight example. G+ $85



Antique Saw

SA110269 Aktkin & Sons A keyhole saw with a nicely shaped handle in perfect conditon. Finding one of these with a straight blade is tough. The blade has been brightly cleaned in the English style, but it will make a great user. G+ $59



Antique Saw

SA110129 W. Marples & Sons, Sheffield A small 9 1/2" blade bow saw with London pattern boxwood handles and an iron tightening bar. Probably from the 1920s or 30s. A nice untouched saw in a scarce smaller size. G++ $109



Antique Saw

SA101122 James Turner, Phila A brass backed carcass saw with a classic tapering blade. The bold applewood handle has lovely patina and no repairs. Engraved on the opposite side of the back from the maker's mark is "Wm M. Lee, 1871". It is also marked Made for Bowlby & Brenner. The blade has a med. patina with light surface rust overall. The teeth are very fine and very unevenly filed. There are some chipped teeth as well. Unlike most saws that we sell, this saw is not perfectly straight and we are not selling it as a user. This is a rare saw and there is no good reason to use it anyway. The brass has been hand polished. G+ $345



Antique Saw

SA101023 Groves & Sons A 9" brass-backed dovetail saw. The back has been lightly hand polished but still has a light patina. The handle is damage free with a nice form. The patina on the handle is dark and somewhat patchy. I lowered the price a bit primarily because I don't love the patina on the handle. A great Victorian era user saw. G+ Sold



Antique Saw Antique Saw

SA100854 Craftsman Made An exceptional highly figured stair (dado) saw. I am not sure of the wood but it might be birch. It has an exceptional figure and an exceptional form. It looks like a classic American tool, but we bought it in Sweden and it is almost certainly Swedish. The wood has wonderful color. The blade has light rust and color that are consistent with the tool. The adjustment screws are modern brass screws with home made brass thumb screws. Some old iron thumbscrews would look better. It is still the nicest stair saw that I have seen. G+ $265



Antique Saw

SA10068 Chas Morrill, New York A pistol grip saw set. A most useful tool for anyone who is sharpening their own saws. G+ $45





Antique Saw

SA100315 W. Cresson, Philada, Sping Steel A W. Cresson keyhole saw. Cresson saws are quite scarce, in fact I will go on a limb and say rare. This saw has it its original ornate handle, with great patina, and just one chip that is not obtrusive to my eye. The blade is nearly perfectly straight, and is still sharp. This was a well cared for saw that now has a nice patined look. This is a serious collector's grade tool. G+ $165



Antique Saw

SA100110 I. Colbeck A 14" backsaw. Erwin Schaffer's book list Colbeck as American, with no known information. Phil Baker concurs that he thinks Colbeck is American. I would have guessed that this was a very early English saw, although I did find it in the US. It certainly looks quite early. This one has a dark patina on the blade, which has a gentle wave to it. The handle hardware is all replaced at some later date. The handle has a great look, although the upper spur is shortened. I am selling this saw strictly as a collector, not a user. It is a rare early saw worthy of some respect despite its shortcomings. G- $85



Antique Saw

SA91197 Wm. Seymour & Co. New York A 15" bow saw of classic American form. It was probably made my Johnson of Newark, as Seymour was a retailer. The blade is marked, ?oott, New York. I have never seen this marke before and I can not figure out who it was. I don't think that it is a recorder maker. The saw has a medium to dark patina. The turn stick is a properly made replacement, but no efforst was made to color it. This is an extraordinarily rare American saw. The rare blade alone is enough to make it exciting. G+ $195



Antique Saw Antique Saw Antique Saw

SA91018 Buck, 242 Tottenham Ct. Rd This is a 12" bow saw with London pattern handles. Finding a signed bow saw with London pattern handles is really a rare find. I don't recall ever having another one. The smaller of the two handles has a check in the boxwood and you can see that the pith of the wood is right at the center of the handle. That could really be called a manufacturing defect, and does not bother me much. The blade is also marked Buck, which really adds the final icing to the cake. The only complaint I can make is that the string is not very old and needs to be boiled in tea to make it blend in better. A special saw. G+ $189



Antique Saw

SA9091 W. Taylor An 11" carcass saw by a rare Philadelphia maker with the double eagle mark on a brass back. This is the first saw that I have had by this rare early American saw maker. The handle is applewood and has a very pronounced hook forward. The blade is dark with some pitting. The brass back has been wire brushed some time ago. One screw is missing and the handle spurs are chipped top and bottom. It never had a medallion, which is consistent with its age. This is a rare saw in need of restoration. Fair $165
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Antique Saw

SA90930 Geo. H. Bishop An important and rare brass-backed miniature dovetail saw. The blade is 8 inches, but it this is not a normal 8 inch saw. The tote is tiny. It is sharp and appears unused. I have owned it for 20 years and I have never seen another like it. I remember the day that I bought it a prominent dealer of that time offered me $1K for it, but even then when that was quite a lot of money, I could not bring my self ot part with it. Now I want somebody else to enjoy it. Fine $1195



Antique Saw Antique Saw

SA9074 Enterprise This is a scarce Disston made panel saw intended to double as a square. The upper edge is graduated and the front face of the tote is flat and square to the blade. It is a 26" 7 TPI cross-cut. It does not look like it was used much and needs only a light sharpening. The etching on the blade is a bit faint. A great user or a pretty scarce collector's piece. G+ $95



Antique Saw

SA90146 Henry Disston and Sons This is a nice clean as found example of a Disston #68 10" Gent's backsaw. It will need light sharpening before it can be used. G++ $85





Antique Saw Antique Saw

SA71138 Ibbotson & Co, Refined Spring Steel This is a 10 TPI 26" panel saw. The blade is bright and clean except for a few insignificant spots. You don't find antique English saws in this condition in damp old England.. This saw came from over here. The blade is not perfect straight, it has two very small spots that are almost like dings near the blade. I think that it would work fine as is, but unlike most bent saws, I think that this could easily be made perfect again. The name is stamped on the blade, rather than etched. The nib is missing and there is a sliver missing from the right side of the upper handle spur. Very nicely taper ground to a thin edge at the upper end. This is a much nicer saw than it sounds. G+ Reduced. $45





Antique Saw

SA70354 Saw Set I love personalized antiques, be it ceramics, tools, or anything else that is named and dated. This tool is beatifully engraved, "Fred Harris, September, 1921". It is an English style saw set with a built in adjustable stop. It is more for panel and rip saws, not for fine toothed back saws. Great as found patina. This is a special tool. G+ $49



Antique Saw

SA702103 Buck, Tottenham Ct. Rd This saw is really special in my mind. The blade is only 5" long, the smallest saw of this form that I have seen, yet it was clearly not made for a child as the open handle fits my hand perfectly. It is stamped on the blade "Buck, Tottenham Ct Rd.". It does not look like the mark had the street number. The blade has a dark patina. The handle has a wonderful delicate form. The lower spurs are chipped, both the rear facing spur and the front facing spur, but they are not large enough chips to have effected the side profile of the handle or the overall look. The blade is not perfectly straight but it is bad and I am sure that it could be straightened, but I would leave it alone. This saw is in as found condition and I like it a lot just as it is. I have no idea what such a small saw of this type was for but I think that it is a really great piece. Good $159
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Antique Saw

SA70167 Wm. Marples & Sons This is a classic English saw set. This one is for saws up to about 12 TPI, and is not for very fine dovetail saws. Nice patina and quite clean. G+ $29
See Picture

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