Backsaw Project #1: Getting Some Special Wood

A few weeks ago I decided I wanted to build another backsaw. (Here’s a picture of my first backsaw project.) The saw that I wanted to duplicate is a Disston No. 77 that was my grandfather’s and perhaps even my great grandfather’s. My dad told me about it one day when I was tossing around the idea of a backsaw project. He said that my grandpa kept the Disston No. 77 (you’ll love this) in the barn to remove horns from the cows. It made me sick. I was sure the saw was lost by now, but as it turns out, my brother has the saw as a reminder of grandpa. He was gracious enough to let me borrow it and take some measurements.

The first thing I did was ordered the wood. The original handle has a good layer of gunk on it, but you can still see there is some curl. Most research I’ve done says the handles of this era were made of apple wood, but since I don’t have any available, I decided that some nice curly maple would work. I contacted Paul at www.curlymaple.com and ordered 5 end pieces. I explained what I was making and looking for. The package arrived by FedEx and is absolutely beautiful.

figure out which piece has a handle in it.

Pictures to follow. I’ll keep you posted on the progress.

-- Glen, Pennsylvania, Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men."