# Hand saw



## DST (Jan 10, 2011)

Have read dozens of posts on identifying and collecting hand saws. I am still looking for or waiting for or waiting for a thread that gets me started in this area. I couldn't tell right now which was a cross cut or a rip saw. The advantages of different sizes of plates etc. I do understand TPI. I see Disstons at garage sales all the time but have left them hanging mostly because I didn't know where to start. Now I have read some restoring posts and thought I might try that but still would like to know what i'm buying.
So how about a little help for someone who would like to get into more hand tools and plans to supply the shop during the upcoming garage sale season.
Thanks


----------



## Billy De (Jul 19, 2009)

Here are a couple of links that might help you.

http://www.disstonianinstitute.com/

http://web.archive.org/web/20080531220208/www.vintagesaws.com/library/primer/sharp.html

If you do get into the saws the second link is about the best I`ve come across at simply explaining what sharpening is all about.

Saw Doctors are pretty thin on the ground so it really pays to get into sharpening yourself and its a great feeling when you strum your fingers across a saw that's just been sharpened,you will realise just what is meant by sticky sharp.

There is a lot of hokus pokus talked about sharpening I think to frighten people off.

If you give that second link a bit of time I think things will just drop into place.

Have fun enjoy it,its a hobby, Billy.


----------



## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

The second link that Billy posted has a good discussion on the different types of teeth and the geometry of rip vs crosscut teeth. So skip over some of the specifics of sharpening saws and focus on reading that section until you have a saw in hand you want to sharpen.

I sharpened my first saws just a few months ago and it is a lot easier than you think. I read through the article on sharpening a few times until it all sunk in what they were talking about. Once you have a saw and a file in front of you, it all becomes clear.

I don't know what kinds of prices you see at sales, but you really can't go wrong buying a $5 saw at a sale regardless of the manufacturer. At the very least you'll end up with one to practice sharpening.

Here is a link to Bad Axe Tool Works and several articles on choosing a saw and determining if one is suitable for restoration.


----------



## EastexToolJunky (Mar 25, 2013)

I started down this path because I wanted a good saw, and the new offerings are pretty sparse. You can either get cheap - "all purpose" throw aways, nice (read expensive) heirloom quality, or do it yourself. You will still have to sharpen the expensive ones, so why not learn the skill on a $4 garage sale model. That's the reasoning that lead me to the heart of darkness. I now have 40+ saws, a saw vise, files, a Veritas file guide, a file holder for planing the teeth, scrapers for rust removal, and a huge grin on my face every time I uncover an etch that's been hidden for decades. 









Out of this I have about 12 great users so far. The rest are just waiting for their turn. All of this for less than 1 Lie Nielson panel saw. The best part is I have learned a new skill. There is a lot of info on the web. The two links above are great. Try YouTube. The Norse woodsman has great info as well. Look at "The Woodwright's Shop" on Pbs's site. You can watch episodes online.


----------



## DST (Jan 10, 2011)

Thank you all. Most helpful. I mostly just needed the starting points. Now I have them.
Sale saws here are anywhere from 2 - 10.
Average I'd say $4-5. I figured sharpening wouldn't be too bad as it's been done for years by people as least as normal as me.


----------

