Disston No. 12 with new handle (pics)

[Vince Sandy]

I bought this Disston No. 12 at a local antiques/junk shop. It is a 20" panel saw filed crosscut at 10 PPI. The original applewood handle is missing the top horn and is cracked (badly) in several places. All bolts are present and the medallion dates the saw 1896 - 1917. The nib is also intact and in good condition. The blade is slightly bent and lightly pitted but appears to have been sharpened very few times as it is about full width.

I tried my hand at making a replacement handle. Pictures are attached. I used 7/8" thick black walnut because I had it on hand. Since the original handle felt very comfortable in my hand (size and shape) I used it as a pattern for the new one. I embellished the new handle with a bit more wheat carving. The entire process of refurbishing of this saw took me about 8 hours. Much longer than I expected but well worth the time.

Comments? Opinions?

Thanks, Vince

[Bruce Page]

Beautiful job Vince. I’m curious, is there a function for the notch above the finger cutout, other than aesthetics?

[Vince Sandy]

Thanks Bruce. I've read a couple of different places that the notches on various handles and the nib on the older blades could have been used to tie on a sheath to protect the teeth. That's speculation I guess. But the notch and nib could certainly be used to secure a cord, twine, leather strap, etc. I liked the look of the original so I copied it.

Vince

[Roger Bell]

Superior work, Vince. IMO, the carving exceeds the craftsmanship of the original. Oil finish?

[Vince Sandy]

Thanks Roger. I applied a liberal coat of Boiled Linseed Oil. After letting it soak in for about 20 minutes I wiped off the excess and let it dry for about 24 hours, then applied a top coat of Johnson's paste wax.

I really need to work on my photography. I noticed the above pictures show the new handle in three different colors. The picture of the new and old handles together is the best representation of the new handle's color. In person it is really quite striking.

I think that the next handle I make will be with a wood that has more density and tighter grain. I wouldn't want to send the walnut handle out into the real world as I don't think it would endure as well as the original applewood handles have.

Vince

[James Carmichael]

Wow, beautiful work, Vince. How'd you cut the carving? That could easily pass for an original handle, except it looks too good.

[Marc Hills]

Vince:

That is certainly an outstanding job you did on the new handle; really -- it's beautiful. For what it's worth, I think your embellished wheat carving is more graceful than the original, especially with the stem curving between the brass bolts.

In response to Bruce's question about the notch above the finger cut out, I have an alternative theory. I read somewhere that that notch was originally used to facilitate a two handed rip saw technique where the user stands behind the direction of the cut and holds the saw nearly vertical as it progresses through the length of the board. The thumb goes in that notch and the rest of the user's hand grasps the top of the handle; overhand.

That notch established one of the elements of the classic American saw handle design and it sort of stuck; even on cross cut saws. Over time the notch itself shrunk in size but was a vestgial reminder of its original function (before disappearing altogether).

[Vince Sandy]

Thanks for the kind comments guys.

James, I carved the handle with a chip carving knife that I bought a while back at the local Klingspore's Woodworking Store. IIRC it is made by Flexcut. I also have a pelican knife that would have probably worked a little better on the curved stems but I had the chip carving knife in hand.

The walnut carved better than I expected. I used a pencil to lay out a portion of the wheat. If it looked right I proceeded with the carving. If it didn't look right I erased and drew it again until I liked the appearance. A white thin-line marker would have been beneficial because I had to keep moving the handle and my position to find the best light and angle to do the carving. I used a couple of the quick-grip type clamps to hold the piece in place on the bench.

After the initial shape of the handle was cut I alternated between shaping and carving. The shaping was all done by hand with rasps, files and sandpaper, except for a 1/2" radius roundover router bit used VERY CAREFULLY on the part of the handle that your hand wraps around.

The blank of walnut that I started with is now the finished handle. But I'm not kidding myself, I got lucky - no big mistakes. And as you can imagine, there is plenty of room for error when doing that much work on such a small piece of wood. Vince

[Richard Gillespie]

I also want to extend my congratulations on a beautiful job. I have several saws that I'm trying to refurbish and one or two may require new handles. You have given me the courage to proceed.

I will however have to acquire the proper carving knife(s) for the job. Any excuse to buy more tools.

I do have a question to the forum. What species of wood is usually used on saws? If I choose to use something like Cherry or Red Birch, am I making a mistake? The selection of wood available to me is somewhat limited.

[Jerry Palmer]

Excellent job, and the carving is great. One of those things I want to try but gotta get around to making a chip carving knife from and old t@iled jointer knife before I try it. The embellishments of the carving are similar to those on another model of Disston saw, maybe the D100 if I recall correctly.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Most of the saws by Disston were made with an Apple handle for their better lines and a Beech handle for the others. Having said that, they occasionally used mahogany. There is no reason not to use almost anything you want as long as it's reasonably durable. Cherry, Walnut, and anything figured would make good choices. You might want to use more than just an oil and wax finish for any wood high in tannic acid so you don't end up with stained hands.