W. E. Morris Hand Saw

Re: W. E. Morris Hand Saw

Nemo Tools

>Maybe some of the big tool guru's that hang out here can help more than I, but here are some suggestions.

I suggest that you have a close look at the medalion on the handle and see if it has a maker's name like Disston, Atkins, Simmonds or Bishop or if it says "warrented superior" which is usually a generic lable for second party saws or second line saws. Many saws were made for hardware stores or other tool companies that had a desire to personalize the saw. They were most likely made by one of the big makers.

Was there a local hardware store called W.E. Morris in your area? I did a google search and came up with nothing.

Can you post a digital picture?

There are several sites on the internet that give advice on how to clean up a saw without over cleaning it. To raise the etching, you can take a flat block of wood wrapped with very fine automotive finishing sand paper, 400 to 800 grit, and sand lightly over the etching area. Do not do this with loose sandpaper. Sand only in line with the saw blade. The flat sanding block will remove rust at the surface but will not dig into the etching, leaving behind all the discoloration in the etching and making it readable. It is amazing how well this works. Don't overdo it or you can rub out a faint etching entirely.

The number 12 stamped onto the blade is most likely points per inch or teeth per inch (points per inch is one more than teeth per inch. I can never remember whether they are counting points or teeth). Check this out by simply putting a ruler up against the blade and counting the number of points in an inch.

Re: W. E. Morris Hand Saw

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>12 teeth per inch or points per inch is probably a cross-cut saw, designed to cut across the grain. This is a fairly fine cut for a handsaw, and probably intended for hardwood. A saw intended for softwood would usually be intended for carpentry, and you'd want to cut fast, even if it meant rough.

Congratulations; it's nice inheriting tools.

Re: W. E. Morris Hand Saw

DaveW

>I've been using 600 grit wet/dry paper, but doing it by hand. Thanks for the advice on using a wood block. I don't want to overdo it - just clean it up.

The medallion has an eagle on it with the words "Warranted" over the eagle and "Superior" under the eagle. I guess it is a "generic" saw as I don't see any of the brand names anywhere.

Thanks, again.

Re: W. E. Morris Hand Saw

DaveW

>Thanks for your thoughts. My grandfather was a ship builder (finish carpenter) on the Great Lakes freighters and probably used this saw in some of his finish work. When he retired, during the summer, he would build a small fishing boat in his garage - in Ohio. Assembled so that in the Fall, he would disassemble it, crate it up and ship it to FL for his winter there. In the Spring, when it was time to come back to Ohio, he would sell it and make another during the summer to start the cycle all over again. Who knows what this saw has cut? Thanks, again.