Project Information
In the post war years many British and North American sawmakers like Spear & Jackson and Disston changed the whole appearance of saws to give us the ugly saws we know today. The lovely saw handles once known to all woodworkers are long since gone yet with an afternoon in the workshop, the wooden handles these post war saws can usually be transformed into the beauties of the late 1800s. I worry that we sometimes accept the modern-day western saw progression that led to plastic handles as irreversible when we have it in us to make a difference, make it our own and make it right. Disposable saws are not the way of the craftsman artisan. My saws, secondhand and 50-60 years old, cut as well as the best ever made. Learning to sharpen saws to task takes only an hour or two and they mean we can sharpen our saws for a lifetime's use. Combine that with a good handle and the saw becomes a lovely thing again.