Crosscut Saw Thread

[Old Axeman]

Looks like NOS, or damn close, to me.

 

[Fmont]

itvd, you are finding some of the most incredible stuff. It boggles the mind that it has survived in that kind of condition.

 

[Square_peg]

What a beautiful saw!

I think it's been skillfully sharpened. I don't think they swaged rakers at the factory. But someone more knowledgeable than I needs to confirm that.

 

[garry3]

I believe you are correct Square-peg.
A quick look through Simonds catalogs shows them shipping in card board by 1953 with no mention of wood blade guards.
Your blade guard is in a different style than the one I have ithinkverydeeply. I have seen a few NOS Simonds, I regret not buying all I have seen. I think most here have found this resource by now but for those that haven't.

Simonds Catalogs
https://www.crosscutsawyer.com/viewforum.php?f=19

 

[BigWillie]

Ok fellas I need your expertise I've never sharpened a handsaw but need to purchase the correct/optimum file to do so. Already cut one oak up into logs with it so it's dulled a bit and needs to be touched up.

https://www.amazon.com/BAHCO-PC-24-...rds=bahco+hand+saw&qid=1560567392&s=hi&sr=1-6

Another tree fell yesterday (lightning I think). Gotta process that now too

Also do you use wax on your hand saws? If so how many strokes until you reapply the wax? Or do you just go by when you can feel it all come off?

And yes I know the saw is too short for most trees but the price goes WAY up for bigger saws if you order new so I'll have to wait to find something used before I upgrade to something bigger.

 

[Jim Thode]

So I removed what I understand to be the factory guard from this Simonds 520 for the first time in 30+ years.

I had not previously removed it to look at the blade prior to buying it.
It needs the grime cleaned off but appears to be in pristine condition.

Back side has what looks like a “D” stamped next to the handle?

Hard to show how crisp the tips are, even across the middle. Makes me think it hasn’t seen much any use and to my layman’s eye, doesn’t look like it has ever been sharpened.
Maybe NOS?

The handles have Royal Chinook stamps.

I don’t know anything about the 520 or the Simonds line for that matter. Any info would be appreciated I have no idea how old it is even?

Also can anyone tell me what these little knurled bumps are near the string grooves?

Thanks!

A nice looking 5' #520 saw. The 520 is a very good quality saw that has more teeth per length then most other professional quality saws. With the smaller gullets it was intended for timbers and smaller logs and is generally the preferred saw for modern traditional saw competitions. With more teeth it cuts faster. They did not come with swaged rakers so it has been sharpened and maybe the added small notches on the back are how many times it was sharpened. One identifying feature of the 520 is the single notch on the back near the ends. The other notches and the "D" were added by a past owner.

 

[Old Axeman]

All 6 of the NOS Simonds I bought at the Vermont hardware store in the 1970's had that exact blade guard, right down to the cracked side piece. The only difference was all 6 of mine had wire instead of string to attach it. But, I have no idea how long those 6 saws were stored in the back room of the store.

I agree that they did not come from the factory with swaged rakers, that is why I said damn near NOS.

I have never seen any crosscut that had notches for the amount of times it was sharpened. Since this would be a fine competition saw (I preferred Atkins and Simonds) what makes more sense to me is that the notches have to do with wins in crosscut saw competitions.

 

[trailtime]

I've encountered a few "marked saws", sometimes the notches are on the spine, the heel, or sometimes on the bottom of the last gullet. I always assumed they were a filer's identifying mark rather than the number of times filed.

 

[Square_peg]

Ok fellas I need your expertise I've never sharpened a handsaw but need to purchase the correct/optimum file to do so. Already cut one oak up into logs with it so it's dulled a bit and needs to be touched up.

https://www.amazon.com/BAHCO-PC-24-...rds=bahco+hand+saw&qid=1560567392&s=hi&sr=1-6

Another tree fell yesterday (lightning I think). Gotta process that now too

Also do you use wax on your hand saws? If so how many strokes until you reapply the wax? Or do you just go by when you can feel it all come off?

And yes I know the saw is too short for most trees but the price goes WAY up for bigger saws if you order new so I'll have to wait to find something used before I upgrade to something bigger.

That type of saw typically has impulse hardened teeth. They usually aren't re-sharpened. A friend does resharpen them with a dremel. He grinds only a tiny bit off the little tip facet seen in the image below. I haven't sharpened any myself but I've used his saws and they cut like new.

 

[BigWillie]

That type of saw typically has impulse hardened teeth. They usually aren't re-sharpened. A friend does resharpen them with a dremel. He grinds only a tiny bit off the little tip facet seen in the image below. I haven't sharpened any myself but I've used his saws and they cut like new.

They sell bahco saw sharpeners but you may be right about this model, the teeth seem to be holding an edge for an insane amount of time.

I have at this point sawed almost a cord's worth of wood into logs with it and it's still the fastest cutting green wood saw I've ever held. Took it to a small branch just to check because waht I'm cutting is way too thick and it felt slow. Still ripping through the small stuff like butter

I have no real frame of reference tho I've never processed this much wood so maybe this is very normal for a timber saw that's easy to sharpen or not

 

[ithinkverydeeply]

Thank you all for the tutelage and taking the time to respond. The resources, the history lesson, and compliments are all greatly appreciated.

They do seem to be hand filed marks. There are 8 on each side and they are not the same distance from the end.

Keen eye O Old Axeman , I glued and clamped up the cracked edges of the guard last night.

 

[Jim Thode]

That type of saw typically has impulse hardened teeth. They usually aren't re-sharpened. A friend does resharpen them with a dremel. He grinds only a tiny bit off the little tip facet seen in the image below. I haven't sharpened any myself but I've used his saws and they cut like new.

I've used a diamond hone just on the tops of hardened teeth saws like this. They likely will not last as long a original but the process does extend the life of the saw.

 

[garry3]

Here is a different style of blade guard. It really reminds me of hemlock. Not sure what they had access to locally?

 

[Whiskey_Jim]

What's the depth of the rakers from the cutters?

 

[Fmont]

I wonder if they were filed on there for purchase with gloved hands on the spine. I'm sorry i can't recall who, but there saw maestro here that uses a hand on the spine when cutting in competitions. I apologise to whomever it is for not remembering. I'm thinking this might have been a competition saw in its previous life. It would explain the condition, the skill with which it was filed, and modifications.

 

[Fmont]

Ah, page 82, J Jim Thode ! What do you think, Mr. Thode? Viable theory?

 

[ithinkverydeeply]

I wonder if they were filed on there for purchase with gloved hands on the spine. I'm sorry i can't recall who, but there saw maestro here that uses a hand on the spine when cutting in competitions. I apologise to whomever it is for not remembering. I'm thinking this might have been a competition saw in its previous life. It would explain the condition, the skill with which it was filed, and modifications.

That makes sense!

I cleaned up the blade guard, gluing the cracks and feeding her some BLO, when I noticed someone's name written on the guard. In pencil they wrote “Penrod”.

 

[Jim Thode]

Ah, page 82, J Jim Thode ! What do you think, Mr. Thode? Viable theory?

Yes, I considered the possibility that the extra notches on the back were to provide some grip. I use some rubber gloves with very good grip but if someone using leather gloves would add the notches, I don't know. I do know that the added down pressure does make it cut more on the pull stroke but not really that comfortable for non-competition sawing.

 

[garry3]

What's the depth of the rakers from the cutters?

I got curious and thought I would measure this NOS saw and fix the split blade guard. It was said the the guard has never been removed and I see now that the wire that holds it on is soldered not twisted. I will leave it.

 

[Fmont]

Wow!