Kitchen Saw Recreated

[enjuneer]

Here is a project that I'd been wanting to try for a while. Disston and many other companies offered what they called a "kitchen saw". It was a simple tool with a slim 12 inch long blade, sharpened with plain teeth on one side and a knife edge on the other. It was used for many tasks in the kitchen, from cutting up meat to slicing bread. They were made from about 1860 into the 1940s.

My take on the kitchen saw is as a dedicated bread knife. Since saw teeth do not cut soft bread well, the 1095 spring steel blade was treated to a hand-filed serrated edge. The handle is from reclaimed English walnut, rather than the traditional beech. It is fitted with split nut saw screws, made on my ancient Atlas lathe.

This batch of eight were made for Christmas gifts, though I do have enough material to make a few more. If you'd like one, PM me or contact me through my website Loon Lake Tool Works. Pricing has not been set yet, but will likely be around $75.

   

   

   

   

[C. in Indy]

Fascinating!

I live with a blended-ethnicity family, and these folks will fight at dinner to get the marrow from a lamb-shank.  They know I keep sharp saws in the basement, so they have had me cut bones before



Chris

[Phil Thien]

Bread machete. Love it.

[hbmcc]

I saw that thing and thought, Gad, domestic abuse and home invasion weapon. Just grab and swing! FYI, we don't store knives in one of those blocks on the counter. Wife is too paranoid about burglars seeing them, so we store them conveniently in the butcher block drawer..... 


You did put this in the chat forum and not the S&S....

[enjuneer]

You did put this in the forum and not the S&S....

I am just gauging interest at this point to determine if I should make any more of them. These are all going to friends and family as Christmas gifts.

[WJB]

I have an original that is marked "C Disston ", for Charles, a brother of Henry. Curious what yours is marked?

They are commonly misrepresented as Civil War surgeons knifes by various auction venues.

[enjuneer]

WJB pid='7805718' dateline='1576694291']I have an original that is marked "C Disston ", for Charles, a brother of Henry.  Curious what yours is marked?

They are commonly misrepresented as Civil War surgeons knifes by various auction venues.

The saw in the photo is actually marked "Ohio Saw Company". I've yet to find a reference to this firm.

This image is from the Disston price list of 1918. The handle is somewhat different, though the blade is much the same.

[attachment=22334]

[Bibliophile 13]

That's beautiful, Bob! I think you've improved on the look of the original.

[RonB1957]

That's beautiful, Bob!  I think you've improved on the look of the original.

Stainless or spring steel? Thought about making cake knives at one point, but someone would probably put it in the dishwasher.

[enjuneer]

Stainless or spring steel? Thought about making cake knives at one point, but someone would probably put it in the dishwasher.

Ron,

I looked around a bit for stainless spring steel, but didn't find any that I liked (or what I was willing to pay). These knives were made of 0.042" 1095 blue tempered steel. That said, there are many high quality chef's knives that are made from carbon steel. I have several myself. As long as they are dried right away after washing and occasionally wiped with oil, there are no issues with rusting.