Disston Saw Handle Transformed

This is a work in progress but I thought I would post pics of it before it is complete. I purchased a newer Disston Saw, around 50's I think and sent the blade out to be sharpened. I didn't like the handle and thought I would give it a shot to change it on my own. So here it is in progress, and I have to say that it is like the golf bug, once you start you can't stop. Please be nice since this is my first handle that I am changing.

This is what it looked like...

Heck yeah, it's almost usable now!

Those are nice saws from that era once you do just what you did to the handle.

Much more shapely! Way to go, Tom.

Take care, Mike

Mike, that complement is an honor coming from you. I am going to do more detail work to the handle before I get the blade back from sharpening.

Tom,

I'd like to offer some advice, and please take it as advice, not criticism.

Please buy a couple files and take a stab at sharpening your saw. It's something that needs to be done on a continual basis, just as sharpening chisels or hand planes, or any edge tool for that matter...but saws are certainly specialized and I've not really met anyone who has felt comfortable with it when they started.

Being able to add a bit of set when needed is also good to know how to do, but for a lot of joinery work that is done with backsaws, set is less important and often no set at all is preferred, it all depends on the thickness of the plate, tooth pattern, and size. As the plate and length get larger, I prefer more/some set.

It's pretty simple to create a saw vise, if you don't have one, or get one on ebay. Get the Somax saw set from Tools for Working Wood, Joel's got both sizes typically. Joel probably has files also, they're like $5/each.

Anyway, my advice not only to you, but others is if you use western style handsaws, learn how to sharpen them. You will not regret it for one moment. In fact, you will want to sharpen your saw before you use it in many cases, just as you would a chisel or hand plane. A sharp saw is a tool to appreciate, and being able to make your saw that way when you use it is gratifying. I can't imagine having to send out to get a saw sharpened, they don't stay sharp forever, not if you use them to cut wood.

Alan-

Alan Turner gave me the name of a person that in his eyes is the best out there. I will love to learn how to sharpen saws and set and maybe look into making my own saw from scratch. But for now I am waiting for my saw blade to get back and hopefully I will be finished with the handle so I can start sawing when it gets back.

Lookin great Tom

Tom Henry said:

Alan-

Alan Turner gave me the name of a person that in his eyes is the best out there...

Click to expand...

That would most likely be Daryl Weir, arguably one of, if not the, best sharpener alive.

Take care, Mike

He doesn't like his name mentioned online from what I am told...

Should Daryl mention that to me directly I would of course honor his request.

He is a member at WoodNet and iirc at WoodCentral, though posts are infrequent.

Take care, Mike

Update

Here is the handle and I think I am finished with it but I need some finishing tips...Thanks for all the responses...

Hi Tom,

Disston--and as far as I can tell, every other maker--tended to use a light/medium brown stain on the Beech before shellac [early saws] and then later in saw making history a lacquer.

I find Beech quite nice as is and so use Behlen's Qualasole by itself. Beech will darken some with age. If someone requested a stain/coloring, I would probably use an analine dye for penetration followed by Qualasole. If someone wanted a simple richening, I would use some Teak oil followed by the Qualasole.

Take care, Mike

Mike-

I really like the look of a dark handle. Is this something I could achieve?

Watco make their danish oil in "fruitwood" shade. This is a medium dark finish with a lot of warmth. A few applications of this would give your beech handle a colour close to the classic apple wood handles of the best Disstons. You could aply a film of shellac on top or you could use only the oil and re-apply every year or two.

Sure. A couple ways to go. One is a pigmented stain and the other is analine dyes. Probably the easiest is the pimented stains as they don't raise the grain much, if at all. Seal that with shellac if you have some and then for durability use lacquer.

Note. If you use shellac and plan on using lacquer, make sure to use dewaxed shellac else the lacquer will likely have adhesion problems.

As always, I would suggest testing a finish on scrap--but in this case unless you have another Beech handle which is junk, you won't be able to. Beech takes stain rather well and so I would go with a moderate brown and if it wasn't dark enough to me I would keep building coats until I had the tone I wanted.

Take care, Mike

I would do as Ian suggested. In fact, I often just rub BLO on them and leave them like that. The main thing is to have them comfy and soft, IMO, which you've taken care of.

Some folks like a 3 part poly/blo/ms mixture also. Watco would work fine, as BLO by itself would, IMO.

Finishing

Well I went out and picked up a rosewood stain and some shellac, but when I got home started to feel sick and just watched the games. Tonight I might get to start it and can't wait to see it with some color on it...