The saw in history

It seems curious that the saw so essential a factor in man's development, so intimately interwoven with the progress of civilization, so absolutely indispensable to-day has had so little attention from historians.

While the history of the modern saw is more or less a history of the development of the business of Henry Disston & Sons, yet to obtain a record, at once comprehensive and accurate, of this most useful of implements, extensive investigations into its origin and early development were instituted. Museums, private collections and musty old records everywhere were delved into for information, and the result constitutes the only complete history of the saw ever compiled in one volume.

However, as with all pioneer undertakings of like magnitude, with no guide to follow save the pattern devised from its own discoveries, it is entirely likely that this work is not without defect. Such slight omissions as may be brought to light by its wide circulation will, it is hoped, be passed in tolerance in view of the difficulties attending its compilation.

We have now reached the point where the modern saws the saws we know to-day stand out as the most useful, the most necessary, the most wonderful of all man's aids in conquering nature and furthering the needs and comforts of present-day civilization.

A comparison of the saws of ancient times and the saws of to-day is startling to the average man who has not paid close attention to the saw in its present state of perfection. From the primitive stone implements illustrated in the early part of this article to the multitudinous variety of saws employed to-day, many of which we purpose illustrating and describing, is a tremendous advance. It shows clearly the extraordinary progress made by man in the comparatively short time he has inhabited the earth as compared with its reputed 100,000,000 years of existence.

It is universally acknowledged that the standard modern saws for the entire world are those made by Disston. Therefore a description of the saws they manufacture for various purposes especially the saws they make for mill men, upon whom rests the burden of supplying the lumber requirements of the world will give the broadest conception of the saw as it is known to-day.

First, we will consider those saws which come under the type of reciprocating, for saws of this kind are the more generally used.

The hand-saw, of which the Disston No. 7 and D-8 are distinctively the representative types, is now the companion of every mechanic who has anything to do with wood in his daily work. We may safely say that it is also found in a vast majority of the homes of the entire world.

Broadly speaking, the term hand-saws includes such saws as buck, hack, keyhole, plumber's, back, pruning saws in different forms, and many others for special purposes. The cross-cut or long saw and pit saw may also be included under this head.

Although each of these tj T pes is of essentially different construction from the others, because of the nature of the work it is called upon to do, the principal and common origin are the same.

All modern hand-saws, except those of the Japanese, cut on the push or the stroke away from the user.

While the oldest civilized peoples in the world the Egyptians, the Chinese and the Japanese used a form of saw having the teeth inclined toward the handle, this form was not universal, as is evidenced by the saws exhumed from the ruins of Pompeii, and now preserved in the museum there. These saws cut on the thrust, just as those in use in Europe and America to-day.

The standard type of hand-saw (Fig. 17) is, of course, a direct development of the piece of stone with a serrated edge as used in ancient times. Its present shape, which differs somewhat from the earlier type of hand-saw, as will be noticed by reference to group illustration, is an invention of Henry Disston. Since he oriwimted it, this form has been widely copied; but without success in securing the same correct hang, which affords the wonderful ease in handling, nor equaling the exceptional quality of the steel.

Making the blade skewback, as it is termed, lessens the weight of the blade and gives proper balance as well. The "let-in" handle gives better control over the saw, and the peculiar shape of the butt or heel allows full sweep of the blade without danger of its catching in the work.

The amount of work which can be accomplished with one of these modern saws as compared to the old-time forms is wonderful, and could primitive man, who roamed the forests ages ago, have armed himself with one of them, the story of civilization's advance might have been vastly different.

Reference to old-time pit saws, as previously illustrated, and that in Fig. 18, will show that this saw, as used today, has made little progress, in  form at least, over the type used before power-mills came into existence. Quality of steel, style of teeth aid improved methods of tempering and sharpening have, of course, made it a more efficient saw, but these embrace about the only changes made since the days when King Solomon's temple builders employed it in their work. Naturally, there is not much call for a saw of this kind now and it is almost obsolete. The cross-cut or long saw fells the trees, cuts them to desired lengths, and then the circular or band-saw transforms them into lumber more quickly and uniformly than two men and an old-time pit saw could. With a modern mill of even medium capacity the output will be more in one day than these two men in bygone days could have done in months with their old-fashioned pit saw.

The cross-cut saw, which is of the reciprocating type, cuts on both strokes, and is another saw that retains its original form to a great extent; its improvements being represented by new methods of grinding, hardening and tempering, and many new forms of teeth.