This No. 12 comes from Pete Taran's personal collection. It was Disston's top-tier handsaw — outranked only by the ornate Victory — and the chip-carved applewood handle makes that obvious the moment you pick it up. This is the saw for a woodworker who wants one of Disston's finest models, not just another D-8.
At a glance
| Maker | Disston |
| Model | No. 12 |
| Approximate era | ca. 1896–1917 |
| Length | 22 inches |
| Plate | 5-1/2" at the heel, 1-1/4" at the toe |
| Points per inch | 10, crosscut |
| Handle | Applewood, chip-carved |
| Medallion | "H. Disston & Sons" eagle/keystone medallion, ca. 1896–1917 |
| Etch | None visible |
| 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, though no etch remained to preserve.
- Jointed and shaped. Toothline jointed and refiled for crosscut work.
- Sharpened to 15° rake, 20° fleam. Standard general-use crosscut geometry.
- Set. Minimum set applied — just enough to let the plate glide in the kerf without binding.
Honest condition
The handle shows a good amount of wear from years of real use — no chips, no cracks. No etch remains visible on the plate, which is common on a saw this age that's actually been put to work. The nib is present and intact.
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 against which every other maker was measured for nearly a century. The No. 12 was their premier handsaw, built with London Spring steel and a chip-carved applewood handle. The blade got extra hammer work to tension the steel — the reason a well-made No. 12 rings when tapped — and was ground thinner at the back than lesser models, so it needed less set to track true.
Who this saw is for
A woodworker who wants one of Disston's higher-end models — the chip-carved handle and tensioned, taper-ground blade set the No. 12 apart from an everyday D-8. It's a saw that's as good to look at as it is to use.
Questions about this saw? Email me at aaron@benchandchisel.com — I answer them all.
— Aaron, Bench & Chisel