Making Handles for My Handsaws

During the past year I had plenty of time on my hands in the shop. Looking for something to do, I decided to make a new handle for one of my antique saws whose handle was broken. The saw with the split handle appears to be an early Disston 7. The tongue on the original handle was not as defined as you will find if you compare this handle to a saw handle template on Blackburn’s website. But, I am pretty certain that this is a Disston saw. I had some rosewood from a previous project lying around. Because the wood’s striking grain and color was so attractive I decided to use some of the rosewood to carve a new handle for the old saw. The results were pleasing enough that I decided to make rosewood handles for all the saws that I use every day. I’ve ended up with a set of seven hand and back saws with matching handles. Then MOFGA, the Maine Organic Farm & Gardner’s Association, canceled their annual Fall Common Ground Country Fair, due to COVID. I have demonstrated Windsor chair-making at this fair for over twenty years . So I had no opportunity to show these saws off. What a bummer! For more information on saw handle carving visit Blackburn’s website. The split nuts and medallion were purchased from Blackburn.

For more information about Issac’s handsaws, saw parts available for sale, and saw handle templates visit his site Blackburn Tools, blackburntools.com.

Thanks for dropping by– STB

This post was originally posted on 12/26/2021. As a follow up to this past post, I will add that that year’s cancellation of the fair was the second cancelled due to COVID. This year’s (2022) fair was disrupted by charges of cultural appropriation made by a member of one of Maine’s native tribes. Two Traditional Craft Schools, who have demonstrated in the Folk Arts Area of the Fair, where I demonstrate Windsor chair-making, were thrown out of the fair. This was/is particularly upsetting because, let’s face it, just about every fruit, vegetable, potato, or spice we eat every day, came, from somewhere. In today’s language “appropriated.” Farmers at the fair were not forced to grovel over the histories of their produce. Many past folk arts demonstrators, myself included, decided we could no longer participate in the fair. All this was distressing because attending the fair was the high-light of my year, giving this mole a chance to escape his burrow and be a wood-working god for three days.