Backsaw pictures: copy of Disston #9. I blame Rob Bontz

[Mike Allen1010]

I blame Ron Bontz.

As many of you know, Ron build beautiful back saws with what I think are truly distinctive styling and always flawless execution. In addition he sells saw parts. Recently Ron posted a note somewhere about receiving and "extra" order of 1095 spring steel and offering very attractive pricing for parts.

This really isn't fair – I built a range of back saws using parts from Ron and Mike Wentzloff and have absolutely no need for another backsaw. However, (seems like there's always an "however", when it comes to justifying additional tools !), I just couldn't resist Ron's offer to buy parts at such attractive prices.

I find building back saws from kits to be one of the most difficult shop built tool projects to execute well. In particular, I always struggle to keep the tooth line 100% straight when I mate the saw plate/back to the tote. Typically the saw plate/tooth line is perfectly straight before assembly, but once I put the saw together, it seems like I always end up with a slight bend in the tooth line somewhere. I tend to favor thinner (.018 - .020") and longer plates than typical, which I'm guessing is part of the problem. Just another example of trying to "improve" on classic tool designs, which for me is probably a colossally bad idea.

The most frustrating part is I have absolutely no idea why I get these little bends; I've tried putting the holes in the plate for the saw nuts with both a punch and drill press, making these holes in the plate slightly oversized versus the saw nuts so I'm not introducing tension when they're tightened, cutting the plate kerf and the mortice for the saw back in the tote eight different ways to try and ensure their perfectly co-planer with the tote, and still probably only half of my efforts turn out okay. Seems like I'm always disassembling, adjusting the saw back mortice, shiming with index cards etc. to try and get a nice 100% straight result. I'm not sure why I let this bother me, even with a slight bend ( 1/32") the saws always work fine, but I still know it didn't come out the way I wanted.

Ever since I read Jim Tolpin's book "the new hand tool woodworker", which includes pictures of his back saws (I believe are from Medallion Tool in Toronto), I've always coveted the Disston #9 backsaw with the scalloped toe; They have the advantage of the longer saw plate/tooth line, but without the added weight of the brass back extending the full-length of the saw.

Here some pictures of my shop built copy, 14 PPI crosscut with walnut tote and split nuts from TFWW. Walnut is one of my favorite words for saw totes; easy to shape with hand tools, yet still holds finer details without the risk of chipping I get with harder woods like maple:
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I thought this would be a nice little project I could bang out fairly quickly. Two days later, not so much with quickly… On the upside, this one turned out 100% straight (.025" thick saw plate, it's a lot easier for me to keep straight than the thinner stuff) and it works great - dead straight/square cross cuts in 10/4 Cherry at the bench hook, leaving a nice smooth, uniform finish that cleans up with one pass at the shooting board – hallelujah!

I desperately need to find another furniture project quickly! I have parts for three more back saws (that I have absolutely no room for) sitting on the bench and I need some excuse to put them back in the box before I'm forced to build them...... hum, maybe I could use another dovetail saw....... no, must resist...

All the best, Mike

[Jim Matthews]

It's been nice knowing you.

You're one foot down the slippery slope,
with no stops along the way.

I suggest a Lazy Susan sawtill, with Holly stringing inlays.

[Chris Hachet]

Stunning! I love the workmanship in that.

[David Weaver]

Mike, I built my last frustrating kit a few months ago. It had the worst bend in the plate of any saw I've ever made from a kit because the back itself wasn't straight and the inside of the folded back was badly burred. I just decided it wasn't worth the trouble - on a dovetail saw especially.

And I almost threw it in the trash.

I'm ashamed to say that it cuts better than any other saw I have (in terms of speed and ease). I knew from prior saws what I had wanted in terms of location of the teeth, length of plate, hang of handle, etc, and getting those items the way I wanted them outweighed all of the minor but ugly stuff. I've had at least a dozen saws now, it cuts circles around some of them and is markedly better cutting than the rest.

The large saws with big cheeks (especially the old english pattern handles) are very hard to get straight, even if the back leaves a straight plate, a hand cut set of cheeks rarely doesn't have at least a tiny bit of plate bending variation in it.

Every single kit that I've made has some sort of compromise that I don't like in terms of looks, and every one of them cuts better than any of my vintage saws. Isn't it frustrating?

I'm so glad I don't have any more kits. I do have some split nuts left over that need to be sent to someone else so they can torture themselves.