I have been collecting wooden planes for quite some time now, and have always been intrigued with the way it was done in the past.
My collection has increased to hand saws, with one brand, Philadelphia Disston. I was blown away at the quality of the steel and the way it tapered from the handle to the toe. I was talking to an old timer who had one for sale at a flee market for $8.00 and took the toe and curled it into the handle and then released it in perfect order. It’s mine now!
It has been seventeen years since my first Philadelphia Disston, and I am proud to say that I own three now. There is a Bump (becuase I can’t say
)&
#160;on the end of the saw that I have had so many explanations for, that I was hopeing that someone would give me an answer to this. The answer would be most Titillating.
Edited 8/26/2006 8:56 pm ET by Renovator
Replies
I don't know many specifics but Disston (if that's the same as Philidelphia Disston) made some of the best crosscut saws (as in misery whips, two man saws) as well. I know that saws are widely collected, so it shouldn't be too hard to locate a photocopy of a catalog, which would have the model numbers and specifics.
zak
"so it goes"
I collect wooden planes too.
Nice work, but don't sent it through the spin cycle
the bump ( teat ) on the end of the saw has many explanations..
some say a site
some... a marking device ( jab it into the piece to be cut )
some , just an ornamentation
I was told that it was to draw circles but it's not a skew back saw.
If you search around you'll see that Henry Disston himself said that the nub was nothing more then ornamental.
A lot of people want to make it/call it a marking device but in all of the old saws that I have seen and the ones that I own(somewhere in the 50-60 range) I've yet to see one sharpened so that it could scribe a line to cut to.
Doug
DougU and Renovator,
It is called a "nib" typically. And, yes, in a publication from Disston, he said it served no function.
Check out http://www.disstonianinstitute.com
to learn more about Disston handsaws.
Alan - planesaw
End it all now.
It is called "Titch"
It is purely for decoration only.
story over.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" If ya plan to face tomorrow, do it soon"