A 26-inch Disston with 11 points per inch for fine crosscut work, a deep-dish medallion, and a strong etch — and a genuine rarity: this handle is stamped with five patent dates, a practice Disston used only briefly in the late 1870s and early 1880s. Sharpened and ready to work, and a piece worth owning for the collection regardless.
At a glance
| Maker | Disston, Philadelphia |
| Model | D-8 |
| Approximate era | ca. 1878–1888 |
| Length | 26 inches |
| Points per inch | 11, crosscut |
| Medallion | Deep-dish, era-correct |
| Etch | Strong and legible |
| Sharpened by Aaron | Yes — ready to cut |
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 crosscut work.
- Sharpened to 15° rake, 20° fleam. Standard general-use crosscut geometry — ideal for finish work that needs to leave a smooth cut.
- Set. Minimum set applied — just enough to let the plate glide in the kerf without binding.
The patent-stamped handle
Disston stamped patent dates on the handle for only a short window in this era — a way of asserting ownership over designs that competitors were copying. Five dates appear on this handle, corresponding to a run of Disston patents granted between 1874 and 1876:
- Patent 150,678 (May 12, 1874) — Christopher Eisenhardt's handle design, giving the sawyer's second hand better purchase during heavy cuts.
- Patent 158,921 (Jan 19, 1875) — a handle shape moving the grip closer to the blade.
- Patent 167,996 (Sep 21, 1875) — Disston's cover-top handle design.
- Patent 181,648 (Aug 29, 1876) — the cast saw nut and screw design that replaced the older split-nut hardware.
- Nov. 18th 1879 - unclear what date this patten refers to.
That cluster of grant dates lines up with the saw's estimated late-1870s to 1880s manufacture window. Patent-dated handles like this one don't turn up often.
Honest condition
The handle itself is gorgeous — but there's a small crack near the medallion and a chip on the lower horn, both worth knowing about upfront. There's also slight pitting on the plate. None of it affects how the saw cuts; it's disclosed here so you know exactly what you're getting. Some parts of the patent date stamps have been rubbed off due to years of hard work.
About Disston
Henry Disston founded the company in Philadelphia in 1840, and by the late 1800s Disston was the largest saw maker in the world — the standard every other maker was measured against. The D-8 was Disston's best-selling hand saw: the same quality plate and construction as the fancier models, priced and built for carpenters and cabinet makers who used it every day.
Who this saw is for
A woodworker doing finish carpentry who wants cuts that leave a smooth surface — 11 ppi crosscut is built for that. It's equally a fit for a Disston collector: the patent-stamped handle is a genuinely uncommon detail, and the condition issues are minor next to what this saw represents.
Questions about this saw? Email me at info@benchandchisel.com — I answer them all.
— Aaron, Bench & Chisel
