# Mystery Disston saws



## Crashtest450 (Oct 25, 2015)

Hey All! This is my first post…

I recently bought a lot of handsaws at an estate sale…$20 for 6 panel saws plus other odds & ends. Thing is, other than identifying that they're Disstons…there are a few things I would need help on clarifying.

*1) 22" Disston Canada D-8 with brass bolts.* You'll notice that the etching in the first picture is cut off…which leads me to believe that the previous owner either used and sharpened it to the point of reducing the blades width or cut it to reduce it in size. The saw's in good shape and I'd like to make a new handle, what with this one being really damaged. I'm no expert in template or pattern making so I searched to find a template online for this bolt pattern, issue is…can't find anything… *Can anyone help clear up this saws history (based on the pic's and brief description)? Also, does anyone have a handle template?*



























*2) 24" Keyston Pacemaker K-3*. They etching ID's the saw yet the badge is missing. Based on my research, this saw is supposed to have been advertised as a 20" 4 bolt saw yet this one has 3 bolts and measures 24". I don't know how to tell the difference between nickel or brass but the bolts look like brass to me. *Anyone have a clue as to the period this saw is from? *


















*3) 26", 3 bolt unbranded saw*. The bolts seem to be brass. I have a few vintage hand planes from the turn of the 20th century and I can tell that the blade's steel is quite old. Any ideas as to what brand of saw this is?









*4) 26" Disston Canada *(see badge) with 4 seemingly steel bolts. There's no etching that I can perceive on the blade. What I can say is that the steel is heavier than other saws. *Any ideas on this one?*


















*5) 22" Disston Countryside*. The blade's etching identifies the saw as having been made in Toronto yet the badge is Disston USA. I figure this is a more recent saw based on the Disston font on the saw as well as the badge seemingly made of aluminium. I searched the web for the Disston Countryside and didn't find much. Nothing on this saw seems to match up. *Any ideas?*



























*6) 22" Disston Canada*. 3 steel bolts with a Disston Canada badge. The steel is not very flexible and there's a slight concave on the nose. The saw also seems to be more recent. *Ideas?*


















While I'm at it…here are 2 other saws that you guys might be able to help with.

*A) 12" pruning saw.* This is one of those odds & ends saws included with the estate sale lot. As you can see, theres a vintage "wing" nut for blade replacement. I did a google image search and didn't come accross anything similar. *Any ideas?*









*B) My first Disston…26" Disston Canada*. Seems more recent than some of the estate sale saws. 3 steel bolts with the Disston Canada badge. No etching on the blade. Based on my research, this is a Disston D7…although the blade does not seem wide enough (is this due to sharpening??? I don't know…) *Ideas?*


















Thx for the help Lumberjocks!


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## MisterBill (Mar 27, 2012)

Here is a place to start: http://www.disstonianinstitute.com


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

Handle templates can be found at tgiag.com

That first saw looks like its probably all used up from years and years of sharpening. I don't know that ive seen an etch that low against the toothline. From the looks of the handle it appears that the handle has bumped into the work piece quite a bit over time.

#2 saw - if its got steel bolts it probably a WWII era saw. A lot of the brass went into making bullets.

#3 saw - Not a clue and it may be very difficult to ID without an etch. The handle is pretty plain jane and doesn't offer up a ton of clues.

The wingnut on that pruning saw is factory and allowed the user to swap out blades as they wore out or needed to be changed for a particular task without a screwdriver.

3 bolt saws typically indicate a panel saw (16-24"). 4 bolts are typically full size hand saws (26-30"). 5 bolts usually indicates a full sized rip saw. When / if you find saws in the wild a good way to identify a good saw is by the handle and type of wood. Apple and beech were used on most quality handsaws. Plywood handles indicate a lesser quality. Also look for handles that look comfortable to use, similar to the first saw posted. Rounded over edges, detailed cut outs, lambs tongues. Basically a bit more pride went into those saws.

I will say that you did find some clean saws. They may not be of the best quality but a lot less rusty than im used to here on the east coast. They'll be a good start into learning how to identify quality saws, how to clean, repair and refurbish them as well.

If you've got the time and patience here's a thread on about everything you could ever want to know about handsaws … http://lumberjocks.com/topics/27984


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