What do I have here?
#10
Saw this thumbhole (?) rip Disston and couldn't resist it for $3. But what is it?



Sorry the pictures are upside down but photobucket won't let me rotate them for some reason.

But, the blade is pretty straight, swaybacked, filed rip. The handle seems a little crude except for the thumbhole.



So, what do I have?

Pedro
I miss nested quotes..........
Reply
#11
Good price on a Disston rip saw. The handle is apple wood and needs a horn repair. The extra hole is for engaging your other hand when ripping long boards. My guess is that it is 5 1/2 PPI. There should be a stamping just off the teeth near the handle.

These are nice saws. Clean it up, sharpen it, and cut away.
===---===---===---===---===---===---===---===---
Please visit my website
splintermaking.com
Reply
#12
That looks like a Disston D-8 "Thumbhole" rip saw. The hole in the handle allows the inserting of the left hand thumb to use the saw two-handed.
Reply
#13
I picked one of those up at a flea market last Fall for $5. Now I'm thinking I got taken.

I don't collect saws, but that one was just unusual enough to catch my eye and the price was right. Based on the medallion, mine was a 1950's vintage saw. Can you tell if there is any etching left on the plate?
If you are going down a river at 2 mph and your canoe loses a wheel, how much pancake mix would you need to shingle your roof?

Reply
#14
These are great saws. I have refurbished and sharpened quite a few of them.

You hold it sort of like this...

Bob Page
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In da U.P. of Michigan
www.loonlaketoolworks.com
Reply
#15
They looked like this with an apple handle:
Reply
#16
Yep, D8 Thumbhole rip saw. My first real rip saw was a D8, and though I never really used the thumb hole, it worked well enough. The thin toe is apparently useful for cutting gentle curves, though I've not experimented with that much. Not intentionally, at least.
Steve S.
------------------------------------------------------
Tradition cannot be inherited, and if you want it you must obtain it by great labour.
- T. S. Eliot

Tutorials and Build-Alongs at The Literary Workshop
Reply
#17
I'm working on a Geo H. Bishop version of the thumbhole rip saw right now.

It was pretty rusty, but the plate is nearly full depth and perfectly straight. The handle has no damage, so I was encouraged to give it a try. The rust was so thick, in fact, that somebody's attempt with a wire cup wheel did not reach base metal.

The results so far are a testament to the high quality steel that Bishop used in their saws. Take a look...

Before:



After the first phase of scraping and sanding:



The etch is still visible:

Bob Page
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In da U.P. of Michigan
www.loonlaketoolworks.com
Reply
#18
Looking good so far. I was lucky in finding my No. 8 in almost new condition at an estate sale. This was ten years ago when saws were $5.00.
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)

Product Recommendations

Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.