1840's Disston medallion

Re: 1840's Disston medallion

Ernie Miller

>Dang Moses you made me dig saws out from under the couch to check and see what I have. But mine was an H Disston with the head to the left the blade is in good shape but the bottom horn is busted ogg the handle. I paid a buck for that one. I kept digging and found an & son with the bottom of the handle missing and the tip of the blade has a corner busted off that one cost $3 and there is one more down in the basement stack didn't go check it but it could be a Warren and Ted split nut don't remember. This spring is the first time I have seen any split nut saws in the wild and they have been running strong but I still get a #12 a week I think I have three of them under the couch waiting to sell. I think you got a hell of a deal busted handle Todd would have walked by as they are to many good one out his way.

Re: 1840's Disston medallion

Todd Hughes

>Sounds like an interesting saw. Don't know if I agree that Disston was only making about 100 saws a year [1 every 3 days or so!] in the 1840s. In an interview with David Bickley in 1890 who started with Disston in 1840 he said at the very begining he would take a wheelbarrow up to the grinders since at that time they didn't grind them selves.He said a good man would make a dozen saws a day.By the mid 1840s they had moved twice into bigger "factorys" as bussiness picked up. I think you can see that while maybe they weren't turning out many many thousands I do think it was more then a 100 a year. If only a 100 year I would be surprised if any would have survived....While I really enjoy the Disstonian site and more then a few of mine saws are on it I don't know how they came up with some of the dates they attribute to some of the medalions. I'm not saying they are wrong but I just don't know. I susspect that maybe some of the 1840s saws are from the 1850s when Disston factory was really starting to turn them out....In any case I think any pre civil war Disston is a good find. Just the other week I picked up a very old style "Table" type panel saw that is stamped in a wavy line Henry Disston a stamp I have never seen befor I don't think.What is really unusual is that the medalion , which looks to be original for sure, doesn't say Disston but is an eagle warrented superiour one. Maybe this is a very early disston from befor they had thier own medalions made up? ...I don't know but is something to wonder about....Todd

Re: 1840's Disston medallion

Sawduster

>Todd,

I'd love to see a pic of that saw. I've heard of the "Table" type hand saws but don't know that I've ever seen even a picture of one.