Hello, saw is in rough condition but it is a triple medallion,well it is missing one.It was in a box with a bunch of other rusty saws that were very reasonably priced.Did some research and I see the DISSTON 99 was made with triple medallions, this saw is much smaller.The warranted medallion measures 13/16" and the disston medallion measures 1".Thanks David
Hi David, wow you are turning up some very rare saws... This looks like an early Disston 99 for sure, what a great find, these are a good looking saw! Regards Mari
Hi Mari, yes I have been pretty lucky lately to acquire some nice old saws. That is why I decided to join the forum ,you nice folks on here know way more than I about early saws. I thought the handle looks like the 99 saw I'm just not sure about the blade. Regards David
Hi David, Another nice saw you're bringing us which is much appreciated. You're having a wonderful run of great early saws here, so keep it up. The handle sure looks like a #99, although it's missing the nib they usually have in the crook of the cheek and handle opening, just under the bottom medallion. The nib shows up on the handles of 10's, 12's, 14's, 15's and 99's. But since the #99 handle is, except for that nib, identical to the # 9 handle I'd guess someone in the factory just pulled the wrong handle when assembling it. It sure looks right to me. Does the blade have an etch or a die stamp on it with the number 99? Even on the etched blades (which yours should have, being a Disston & Sons), the number 99 was usually die stamped and might show up with some gentle cleaning even if the etch itself is gone. I think the only reason your blade seems smaller is from both the repeated filings and the break on the end. I'm sure it was full sized once. I have attached some pictures of other #99's to show the nib I mean. The first example, with the split nuts, is actually die stamped #99, so it's from before they began using the three medallions. Yours may be a bit later than these examples because of the way the cheek meets the loop of the handle opening. The earlier saws had the cheek meet the loop lower down. David
I have a Disston 99 split nut saw with the same handle design as Piney David's (and no extra nib as shown in David David's pictures) The "99" part of my etch appears to be etched rather than die stamped, the heel of the blade is also curved (not straight) and has the ppi stamp, so maybe this style is a little later than David David's examples ?
Hi Kiwi, Yes, because of the slightly different handle shape, I'd think your example is a little later than the three I showed. Yours and Piney's seem to also have a slightly wider nose with a bit more flare at the tip. From the top, mine are a Henry Disston die stamped, next a Henry Disston etched and at the bottom a Disston & Son etched blade with a Disston & Sons medallion. Yours is sure a nice full plate, with that ppi stamp. But all of them, Piney's, mine and yours, are from the split nut era so at least pre- 1876. Disston & Sons began in 1871, so I guess the handle style change happened sometime between 1871-1876. The 1876 catalog still shows the 99 with my handle shape, while the 1890 catalog shows a different handle but still with the three medallions. Then the 1906 catalog is even another shape and loses the three medallions.
Hi David and Kiwi, Thanks for posting those pictures,wow really nice saws,hard to believe a handsaw can be filed and sharpened that much,comparing the 99 I have to 99's you all posted.I have never filed on a handsaw only chainsaws that amazes me, guess you could say someone got their money's worth from my 99 saw.
Hi David, makes me wonder just how much sawing was done with those saws ,to file them down that far,would that be after building 1 house 2 houses 3 houses or who knows what.