Diston Saws

**Limey** · 06-10-2003, 11:33 PM

Went out to a woodcarving show on Saturday at the New England Carousel Museum but it was a little disappointing few exhibits and a long drive in pouring rain.
By an act of sheer serendipity on Sunday we bowled over to a supermarket out in a country village a few miles away and by chance stopped at a small antique shop.
They had a good collection of old tools and managed to bag a #26 transitional stanley plane for $20 with the usual split knob and cracked tote but otherwise in quite good condition. Tuned it up and got a clean shaving so it will service as a hogging plane,

BUT here is the question ..there were a number of Diston Hand saws in various degrees of decay ranging between $4 and $8 ...Not being one to stick them on the wall I want to find out if all Distons are good Distons? one in particular looked in reasonable conditon with the makers logo clearly visible under a fine film of surface rust the blade was screwed rather than plain riveted to the handle.
Spear & Jackson in the UK made really fine saws until the latter days when they started making very mediocre ones to try and stay in business..Does anyone here know if the same was true of Diston...don't want a "sit and look at" antique but a nice handsaw EEk EEk EEk.

Any help appreciated.

Limey

**Danford C Jennings** · 06-11-2003, 08:08 AM

Limey,

Diston & Sons used to be this country's premier saw makers as well as one of the country's oldest companies. With that being said....

IMHO, these were the best saws ever produced, especially the Pre War models. For all the information you'll ever need on these saws, surf over [link:www.vintagesaws.com|here], Pete is considered by most to be the leading authority on Diston. FWIW, I picked up a D-115 ("Victory") crosscut for $5, it's one of the most highly sought after saws that Henry Diston & Sons ever produced (1916-1917). Any who, they are definetly worth "saving" and putting back to work.

If memory serves it was either in 1953 or '55 when they sold the company, that's when their decline started...Pete mailed me an issue of Fine Tools in which he wrote an article on dating Diston saws, very usefull.

Dano

**Limey** · 06-11-2003, 02:08 PM

Thank you Dano,

I did a google but didn't find this... What a site thank you indeed.

I'll be doing a quick trip up the road that's for sure.

It looks as if even the later saws were pretty respectable.

Many thanks again

Limey

**Danford C Jennings** · 06-12-2003, 07:31 AM

Limey,

You're welcome. I could very easily get carried away on "collecting" vintage Disstons; picked up a Pre War D-7 rip at a garage sale for 50 cents, required very little work to get it back into original condition. So, in lieu of me collecting 'em I got my neigbor (Dave) interested. His pride and joy is a D-8 crosscut, ca. 1900; Rosewood handle, "thumb hole", brass medallion and screws. He paid $6 for it and it cleaned up real nice. (I almost bought it but, I would have ended up having to build a new tool cabinet...)

Any who, glad to be of some help.

Dano

**Lou_williams** · 06-12-2003, 10:56 AM

Dano,

You are dangerous. I linked over to that web site, now I am interested in finding an old saw. Now, I have never set and sharpened a saw, Never cut with one set up right, and not sure I would know how to find and tune one, but I will be looking....

**Danford C Jennings** · 06-13-2003, 07:25 AM

Lou,

Hey, I'd be more than happy to bump around in a few of my favorite antique stores and see if I could find you one. What's your pleasure; rip or crosscut? Saw sets and vices are also pretty easy to locate....

Dano

**Limey** · 06-13-2003, 10:53 PM

I don't wish to spoil Dano's fun but I'm hoping to take a re-visit to antique boutique tomorrow. If there is anything half decent I'll grab one for you Lou.. I'm guessing we'll start you off with a crosscut panel saw... I'll even set and sharpen it for ya...that's if I can find something worth sharpening and I can find my saw set... Keep your fingers crossed but don't hold your breath... See what I can do.

Cheers Limey

Sonny Edmonds · 06-15-2003, 11:05 PM

>.....I want to find out if all Distons are good Distons?.....<

Why that would be an impossibility, my dear Limey. Because you'd have to try them all.
Had I known.... I could have put six in your hands. Great, Great, Gramdpa's, Great Grandpa's, Grandpa's, and Dad's. Six in all. Working saws, not show saws. I did know where those were.
If I had only known......

Would'a beat the chit out of listening to that chainsaw, albiet slower, I'll grant Ya.
Maybe in October? ;)
Lookit.... if you see any for sale, buy first, ask second. You can always sell them if you so desire.
But it sure don't work the other way around.... know what I mean?
I don't very often bring them into use.... but when I do, my sweat melds with the sweat of real Craftsmen. Men I have a great deal of respect for.
I'd say never pass one up if you're of a mind to use one. :7

:D

[link:www.sonnyedmonds.com | Sonny Edmonds]
"Precision Firewood Specialist"
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