Disston saw question

On Tue, 1 Jan 2008 20:15:03 -0800, with neither quill nor qualm, "SteveB" quickly quoth:

Some people say it's for notching the wood where you want to start the cut. Others call it the front sight. Others say "HellifIknow." YMMV

There was a long discussion on rec.woodworking about this. Check the archives.

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eat the samoosa to reply

Thank you ever so much for taking the time to answer a simple question. Thank you for just taking the time to tell me to go to Google. If there's ever anything you need, feel free to go to Google, and not ask here.

Steve

I gave you a hint of where there is a lot of info. You expect me to go there ,find everything, sift out the good stuff and hand it to you while you sit on your arse.

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eat the samoosa to reply

Since you seem to have read and filtered all of the information on the woodworking group, perhaps you could have used the same bandwidth to give a 2 sentence reply to the OP's question. Not to mention all the rest of us with enough curiosity to be interested but not enough time to do all the research.

Phil Hansen wrote:

Phil Hansen wrote: You expect me to go

You're new here aren't you? People here don't look up info for you. If, however, they know something or have experienced something they generally will share what they know. Randy

Acrually it is you sitting on your obese arse while bitching about other people. You do know that you couls use some exercise. people as much overweight as you do not have a long life expectancy.

I have seen several saw scabbards that used the nib to keep the end fastened.

What do you suggest to use as search terms?

That's a new one on me, and sounds better than any other theory... Although the one in the picture is small - perhaps too small.

Try disston saw. In Google.

First hit I got, told exactly what the nib was for.

Cheers Trevor Jones

Information is for sharing.

This web page :

says this:

"The nib is the bump on the back of many older saws, near the toe. It serves no purpose other than decoration."

Now, I don't know posting if this makes me a spoil-sport, upstart, or curmudgeon, but - - who cares?

Although finding it WAS a good read, and I learned a thing or two about Tacony on the journey.

Flash

I clicked on one of the saws shown there. It was an interesting read, but it was all on this page

Partways down the page reads... "A few words about decorative features on the older saws. Theories abound for the purpose of these features. The notch on the top of the handle is said to be a way to hold a sheath on the saw with a string. I must admit it works. The nib has been given every reason to be from testing the temper of the steel in the factory to a means to start a cut by notching the wood. Evidence that this theory is an old one is shown by the high number of these saws with a missing nib. They snap off when you try to start the cut that way. The fact is, these old saws were designed in the Victorian Era, a time when workers took pride in their tools, and manufacturers added embellishment to tools in order to attract buyers. The nib is like the hood ornament on an old car, it's meant to look nice."

I figure anyone that went to that much trouble to build a site like that, gotta either be fairly in the know, or whacked. Mebbe both.

Cheers Trevor Jones

First hit I got was an ebay auction. Second hit was the Disstonian Institute, with hot links to a hundred sub topics.

Would you like to share what information you found out with the group?

Steve

Feel free not to ask here? I'm sorry. I was either absent or drunk the day you were put in charge. Go f*ck yourself.

Plonk.

Steve

Thanks. The saw does have a nice wheat pattern in the handle. As for the nib being a decoration, it is sure a plain one. If I was to put a decoration on there, I think it would resemble SOMETHING.

Steve

All I can come up with on my own, and unsubstantiated, at that, is that it may have served as a reference point or setup point whae the blades were being produced. The idea that they were made like that to look distinct from the competition, seems pretty reasonable to me, if one was selling into a market that may consist of less than functionally literate labour, too.

That might be the best that anyone comes up with.

The only other source of info that might be of use is the Audel's books on framing carpentry. They would have been written about the same era, and if there was a use for the nib, they would likely have mentioned it. I don't have the books, though.

Cheers Trevor Jones

But, are they referring to the little piece sticking up or the cut away near the end in general?

Dave