I recently aquired this rip saw as I could not recall seeing a handle treated this way before. Anyone else seen anything like it before. not sure of a date 1880s perhaps?
Hi Richard, I do like the look of that saw of yours, which appears to have the side plates inlet into the handle. I have 3 or 4 Disston # 15's, with a single side plate that look a bit like yours. The plates on them are also inlet into the handle and held by four small wood screws. The plates usually cover four split nut screws that secure the blade, although one of them has the screws welded to the inside of the plate which are then secured by dome nuts on the back side. My best guess, based on the die stamps, etc. is that they're from the mid-to late 1850's. But it is a guess. David
Hi both, Judging from the return curve coming from the top of the handle down to the cheeks and the chunkyness of the front of it I would go for 10 years either side of 1860, but there are no capitals or italics in mark and so either Sorby didn't use them at this point or it is at the latter end of this timescale. ( A complete and unsupported WAG, of course). As for the plate itself, and the plate on yours, David - would you say that they are user modifications. Not only has someone gone to the trouble of setting the plate into the handle, but also presumably countersinking the screw holes very accurately into the plate itself. Not that I am for one moment suggesting that either or both of you do this, but it would be nice to know if there are the remnants of the original head and split nut insets of the screw set beneath the plate. Always assuming that they are user adaptations and that the thickness of the plate has not removed all traces of the insets. Fred
Hi Fred, The plates on my saws were installed at the factory. The plates are die stamped " Henry Disston / Philadelphia" with two eagles. And I have several examples of them so I don't think they were an anomaly. The split nuts are visible at the back side of the handle. The one handle I did remove had the heads of the concealed screws in place. It appears to be all original equipment. David