1039
	Norman Davidson
	2011

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Cross cut saw bought to clear trees in 1953 gale

Saw courtesy of Norman Ramsay, Huntly.

Norman has this four foot Henry Disston saw which may have been purchased by his father around the time of the 1953 gale when many saws were purchased or brought into service to cut up the great many fallen trees blocking roads, tracks as well as those in and onto property and gardens.

The saw has the maker’s name and saw type etched on to the sides of the blade as can be seen in the attached photographs. The first reads ‘Extra - Henry Disston - No1 - Spring Steel Warranted – Philadelphia USA’ and the second ‘Great American – Extra High Temper - Superior Quality and Finish – Improved Cross Cut Saw – Unequalled for Toughness – Four Gauges Thinner on Back? – Reg. USA’.

The shape of the saw with no curve leads to the belief that this is a saw for cross cutting large pieces of wood or trees when they have been felled (in American terms ‘a bucking saw’). The reference to the gauges thinner on the back is an interesting one and on examining the blade closely, the metal on the back edge is significantly thinner than the metal edge in which the teeth are cut. On this saw the taper grinding is even across the length of the blade from front teeth to back edge. The thinned metal allows the body of the saw to follow through much more easily when progressing with a cut into large timber several times the width of the saw blade.
Internet sources indicate the saw tooth pattern of sets of three peg or plain teeth separated by a gullet is a common American arrangement and sometimes called a Crown or Great American tooth pattern (probably the reference in the etched saw label) which was designed for use on dry and medium to hard woods rather than the softer woods of conifers. The gullets on this saw are quite small and may not have been deepened as the peg teeth were brought down through many sharpenings.

The handles of this saw are of the fixed type being riveted onto the blade. The wooden shafts of the handles are shaped to fit the metal sockets and then have wooden wedges driven into the ends to hold them in place.

Picture Added on 14 December 2011.

If you found this interesting, have a look at the following groups of pictures.
Northeast Scotland
Tools and clothing