not a single one of my Disstons (an enormous collection of three) has a nib. I feel left out.
not a single one of my Disstons (an enormous collection of three) has a nib. I feel left out.
Are you getting something out of your time here? You are? Great...then now's the time to give a little something back! Contribute!
The nib is built into the saw (at some cost mind you) for one purpose.
With the prevalence of the internet and books on trade skills and the modern penchant of sharing technical information freely the nib no longer serves any purpose.
In times past guilds protected the trades and prevented unauthorized dissemination of the skills.
When the Joiner or Carpenter was being bothered by people peering over his shoulder trying to suss out his trade there-by making illicit ingress to his guild vocation without having served the proper apprenticeship or paid the necessary dues, the Nib on the saw came into play.
The tradesman would affix a rather large-ish rubber band to the nib, swing the saw to point at the offending observer draw back on the rubber band and let fly thusly discouraging the person from stealing the tradesman's craft.
So, where does one find NOS rubberband projectiles?mt(PS- are they somehow medallioned?)
I am of the opinion that it is for starting a saw cut, I was never allowed to pull a saw the wrong direction to start a cut.
As for decoration, it is not decorative.
As for holding on a tooth guard, how many old ones of those have you seen?
Stephen
Aside from my deep scholarly penetration into the history and meaning of Nibs as a way of protecting the guild craft:
What about nibs as a way for the saw makers to make their saws identifiable from a distance on sight?
You know, the saw is in a till or in use or for whatever reason the etching or stamping isn't readily visible and the saw makers thought of a way to set their saws apart. A little decorative nib. Of course that nib stood proud of the cut or the till so at a glance you could tell that this craftsman used saws by this or that manufacturer. Sort of exactly like the modern trend of making you into a perambulant billboard for Nike or Adidas or whatever. Pretty soon every maker had had their own nib style and location.
It's just an untested theory.
Of course the death knell to this idea would be that several makers used the same nib in the same location on the saw. And I don't know whether nib geometry and location was commonly shared among makers.
quick focus point to tell if the saw was straight up and down prior to beginning the cut.
You guys are much kinder to the OP than they are over at Wood Central. My buddy, Ray Binnicker, got dragged over the coals for asking the same quesiton. This is truly a kinder, gentler place. Same Answer, though.
Excuse me? Kindler and gentler? Nah. And that thread? All 62 replies? Good natured fun, most of which is indistinguishable from the responses here.
And what did Ray sum up the thread by writing?
Thanks guys !!!!! You did not disappoint me !!! You are the greatest !!!!! I only wish we were ALL sitting in my shop right now coming up with all these answers.
Now, what can I come up with to stir the pot???
Ray
Geez Louise.
Take care, Mike
using the nib to start a kerf? It is very handy, right there on the end of the saw, pulled or pushed with the thumb as a guide, makes a nice nick in the edge of the board to start the saw kerf.
Give it a try.
Stephen