This Atkins No. 70 came out of Pete Taran's personal collection. The plate has a mirror-like finish, the etch is crisp and fully legible, and it's rip filed and ready to work at 26 inches.
At a glance
| Maker | E.C. Atkins & Co. |
| Model | No. 70 |
| Approximate era | ca. 1896–1919 |
| Length | 26 inches |
| Plate | 2-5/8" at the toe, 7-1/4" at the heel, skew-back |
| Points per inch | 6½ at the toe, 5½ at the heel, rip |
| Medallion | Brass, deep-cast, with the December 27, 1887 patent date |
| Etch | Excellent — crisp and fully legible |
| Sharpened by Aaron | Yes — ready to rip |
What I did to it
- Disassembled and inspected. Every part came off the saw and was checked before cleaning.
- Cleaned to preserve character. Handle and hardware were cleaned in a way that keeps the saw's age visible — no over-polishing.
- Plate cleaned. Cleaned properly while preserving the etch.
- Jointed and shaped. Toothline jointed and refiled for rip work.
- Sharpened to 5° rake, 0° fleam. Standard general-use rip geometry.
- Set. Minimum set applied — just enough to let the plate glide in the kerf without binding.
Honest condition
I dropped this saw while working on it and the top horn broke off. It was a clean break, and I glued it back — it's not coming loose. The repair line is very faint; you'd likely miss it unless you knew to look. Otherwise the handle is in excellent shape and the plate has a mirror-like finish with a crisp, fully legible etch. Priced down to reflect the repair.
About Atkins
E.C. Atkins & Co. was founded in Indianapolis in 1857 and became one of Disston's strongest competitors in the early 1900s. The No. 70 sat a step below Atkins' top-tier Silver Steel Perfection saws — built with "Special Steel," which Atkins marketed as "next to our Silver Steel" — but shares the same taper-ground, skew-back construction and Perfection Pattern handle. A genuinely well-made working saw, just priced a notch under the flagship line when new.
Who this saw is for
A woodworker who wants a near-pristine, high-quality vintage saw. It's ready to rip.
Questions about this saw? Email me at aaron@benchandchisel.com — I answer them all.
— Aaron, Bench & Chisel