Henry Disston started making saws in Philadelphia in 1840, and by 1900 his company made more saws than anyone else in the world. Time magazine reported in 1940 that three of every four handsaws sold in the US were Disstons. So if you're shopping for an old hand saw or back saw, you're mostly shopping for Disstons, and the good news is that they're easy to date. The brass medallion in the handle narrows most saws to a span of a few years, the etch on the blade gives you the model, and the handle fills in the rest.
Almost everything here comes from the Disstonian Institute, Erik von Sneidern's long-running reference site, which builds on Pete Taran's 2001 medallion timeline in the Fine Tool Journal. Taran reckoned his dates were good to within about five years, and that's a fair way to think about them.
Start with the medallion
Collectors call it a medallion, though Disston's patents called it a label screw. It's the large brass screw head on the left side of the handle. Full-size hand saws usually have a 1-inch medallion, while back saws, panel saws and a few full-size models like the D-23 have a smaller 13/16-inch one. Here's how the designs run.
- Before 1865. Eagle designs reading H. Disston, cast in sand, held on with split nuts. Most saws sold as 1840s Disstons were really made in the 1850s.
- 1865–1871. "Disston & Son", after Henry's eldest son Hamilton became a partner.
- 1871–1876. "Disston & Sons", still with split nuts and sanded flush with the handle.
- 1876 to about 1888. Domed screws replace split nuts and the medallion stands slightly proud of the wood. From 1878, a star sits each side of the keystone.
- About 1888–1896. The medallion carries the 1887 patent date for Glover's stronger saw screws.
- 1896–1917. H. DISSTON & SONS around the top, PHILADA below, with a keystone and scales inside a ring of dots.
- 1917–1940. The shorter DISSTON over the keystone, PHILA below.
- 1940–1947. DISSTON over the keystone, U.S.A. below.
- 1947–1953. Still DISSTON U.S.A., but with a wide, sloppier rim. The D-8 and D-12 got nickel-plated ones.
- 1953–1955. Every medallion is the small 13/16-inch size.
Disston used up old parts as new ones came in, so you'll find saws with a "Son" etch and a "Sons" medallion. Treat the medallion as a strong clue, then check the etch and handle agree.
Read the etch and the stamps
Disston was probably the first saw maker to etch its saws, starting around 1865, and on a hand saw the etch sits roughly in the middle of the blade. If the etch is right at the toe, the saw has probably been shortened to cut off a kink or a break. Rust takes etches with it, so a faint one is normal on an old saw.
The etch gives you the model, and 1928 splits it in two. Before 1928 most saws were named No. 7, No. 12 and so on, and the few with a D in the name, like the D-8 and D-23, had the number inside a big letter D. On August 1, 1928, Disston redesigned the whole line. Every model got a hyphenated D number, so the No. 12 became the D-12, and nibs disappeared from the backs of the blades. In the early 1910s Disston also added M. DE F. and M. IND RGTRADA, French and Spanish trademark abbreviations, to its etches.
The number stamped near the heel, on the etched side, is the points per inch, not the model. Eight was the most popular crosscut and 5½ the most popular rip. Older back saws often have no etch at all and carry the name stamped into the back instead.
Let the handle fill in the rest
- Screws. Split nuts mean before about 1876. Domed screws came after.
- Top of the handle. From 1928 every model got a cover-top handle that hides the top of the blade. The D-8 had one from 1875.
- Wood. Disston's better saws had applewood handles until about 1945. After that the D-8 and D-23 got beech, birch and other hardwoods, and the D-12 got walnut. The No. 4 back saw went from apple to beech in 1928.
- Finish. Shellac before 1928, lacquer after.
- Nib. The little bump on the back of the blade near the toe is decoration. Disston's own handbook said it had no practical use. It's only on pre-1928 saws, and it often snaps off.
The models you'll see most
The D-8 is the skewback saw with the handle let into the blade, made from about 1879 and Disston's best seller. Rip D-8s 26 inches and longer could have an extra thumbhole for two-handed ripping. The D-23, from 1911, is narrower with a straight back and makes a very good saw to use. The No. 12 was the top of the line, a straight-back saw with a chip-carved apple handle and Disston's best steel. The No. 7 was the everyday model, with a plain beech handle. All of them came with rip or crosscut teeth.
For joinery, the No. 4 back saw is by far the most common Disston, with the brass-backed No. 5 as a scarcer sibling. Disston's dovetail saws are the thin-bladed No. 68, No. 70 and No. 71. A Keystone-branded saw is Disston's lower-priced line, and a Warranted Superior medallion could come from Disston or any of several other makers.
After 1955
The Disston family sold the company to H. K. Porter in 1955. Porter dropped most of the old models, moved production to Danville, Virginia by the late 1950s, and switched the etches to big block letters. Later medallions have a ring of circles around the keystone. The Disstonian Institute says quality fell right away, and it doesn't cover these saws. The name ran on through Sandvik ownership and into the 1990s. Some models, like the D-8 and D-23, kept going under Porter, so check the medallion before you pay pre-1955 money.
Condition matters more than the date
A date tells you what you're looking at. Condition tells you whether it'll cut. Pete Taran's advice for old saws is the checklist we use.
- Kinks. Sight down the blade. A gentle bend can be worked out, but a sharp crease can't.
- Pitting. A few pits are fine, but a band of them along the teeth means the saw will never sharpen well. Thick, flaking rust isn't worth the trouble.
- Toe. Skip saws filed so many times that the blade comes nearly to a point. There's not enough steel left.
- Handle. Chipped horns don't affect the cut. A cracked grip or a badly broken handle means making a new one, since nobody sells Disston handles.
- Screws. Ordinary domed saw screws swap between saws if the heads match. Damaged split nuts are hard to replace.
On a back saw, also check that the back is straight and grips the blade evenly. Nearly every old saw needs sharpening and setting, so dull teeth are no reason to pass on an otherwise good one. If you're new to this, a post-1928 D-23 or D-8 is the easy place to start. See all the hand saws we cover, or browse what's for sale now.
