FS: Hand Sharpened Saws

[enjuneer]

A saw with an identity crisis? Is it a rip saw or a crosscut? It is both!

This is a Geo H. Bishop No. 10 adjustable back saw, with one side of the saw plate sharpened crosscut while the other side is filed with a rip tooth profile. Rather than a conventional folded back, it has a metal loop to hold the plate to the handle. With a quick flip of the lever, the loop and plate are removed from the handle. The plate can then be flipped to select the desired tooth line.

This saw has been lightly cleaned and sharpened. It is ready to use if you so choose. Price: $55 plus shipping.





















The Cincinnati Saw Company was the trademarked name of a secondary saw line produced by Geo. H. Bishop. This back saw has a 14 inch long plate, folded steel back, and beech wood tote. It has freshly sharpened crosscut teeth at 13 ppi.

The saw has been fully refurbished by cleaning/polishing the plate and folded back. The tote was cleaned, lightly sanded, and colored with a vinegar/iron dye before the semi-gloss lacquer top coat was applied. The already prominent etch was further enhanced by darkening it with gun bluing. There is a tight crack that runs past one of the screws, but it has been stabilized with two-part epoxy.

Price: $65 plus shipping.

[Admiral]

These are priced well, given the work in sharpening them, you're getting the saw for free. It ain't easy bringing a vintage saw back to life.

[enjuneer]

Just a comment on my tool assessments ... my standard is perfection. Of course, vintage tools can rarely be perfect. They have seen too much "experience".

Therefore, if I say that there is some light pitting on the saw plate, it is because the surface no longer has its original ground or polished surface as it had when it left the factory. It may have been attacked by rust or scratched by an inattentive previous owner. I do not use chemicals for rust removal. All clean up is carefully done by hand with fine abrasives and metal polish, followed by an application of paste wax.

95% of all vintage saws have some issue with the plate itself. Bends, kinks, and dents are common and most can be remedied with some careful hammer work on an anvil. The ones that are badly kinked or have lost their tension are scrapped or repurposed.

Totes may have some chips or abrasions. Most tools were made with soft-ish woods, like apple, which dent or chip easily. If a horn is cracked or missing, I will try to repair it to the best of my ability. If the finish is missing or damaged, I generally will remove the remaining finish and lightly sand the wood before applying the new finish. The type of finish selected is determined by the age, function, and rarity of the tool. I will either use a material that is the same or similar to the original, or will result in a visually similar finish.

Many folks polish saw nuts with Brasso or other aggressive methods. However, I do not like the highly polished finish left behind nor do I like the fact that the abrasives remove part of the metal and sometimes erode the fine features of medallions. The method I use was learned from another saw restorer. The brass hardware is soaked overnight in a bath of liquid laundry detergent mixed with water. The detergent removes dirt and oil, while an ingredient in the laundry soap removes tarnish without affecting the surface of the metal. The result is a clean and brightened brass surface with a finely matte finish since the small scratches and imperfections have not been polished away. It is better match for the overall look of a vintage tool.

Sharpening is the most important aspect for any tool, whether a saw, plane, or chisel. Again, this is done by hand and eye, including jointing, setting of the teeth, and sharpening. I've studied the old saw mechanic's texts and looked at the work of expert saw sharpeners under high magnification. Everybody has their own way of doing things, but I believe that my methods are faithful to the "old methods" described by Holly, Grimshaw, Hodgson, and others.

Rest assured that if I offer a tool up for sale, it is because it meets my very high standards for function. As I like to say, "it might not be perfect, but it is perfectly functional".

[Strokes77]

I want the Cincinnati if still available. Sending pm.

[enjuneer]

The Cincinnati back saw has been sold and shipped.

[Strokes77]

The Cincinnati back saw has been sold and shipped.

The saw arrived very well packaged and safe.  It's quality of the restoration was even better than expected.  And the saw cuts great.  Easily cuts as well as my LN carcass saw.  Exactly what I was looking for.

Thank you Bob.

[enjuneer]

Easily cuts as well as my LN carcass saw. 

Haa, that is either a ringing endorsement......or your LN needs sharpening 

[Strokes77]

Haa, that is either a ringing endorsement......or your LN needs sharpening 

Regardless, I would send the LN to you for a sharpening if needed.