Sharpened Sheffield Saw Works No. 59 - 26", 6 ppi, Rip

This 26" No. 59 came out of Pete Taran's personal collection. It's stamped "Sheffield Saw Works" and wears a Warranted Superior medallion, but the saw itself is Atkins-made — a clean user with a full plate and plenty of life left in it.

What I did to it

1. Disassembled and inspected. Every part came off the saw and was checked before cleaning.
2. Cleaned to preserve character. Handle and hardware were cleaned in a way that keeps the saw's age visible — no over-polishing.
3. Plate cleaned. Cleaned properly while preserving the etch.
4. Jointed and shaped. Toothline jointed and refiled for rip work, preserving the saw's graduated tooth pattern — finer near the toe, coarser toward the heel.
5. Sharpened to 5° rake, 0° fleam. Standard general-use rip geometry.
6. Set. Minimum set applied — just enough to let the plate glide in the kerf without binding.

Honest condition

This is a clean user saw with plenty of life left in the plate — no notable flaws to report. The tooth line is graduated, running about 7 points per inch at the toe down to 6 at the heel, a period rip-filing choice that eases the start of the cut and lets it bite harder as you push through toward the heel. I kept that pattern when I sharpened it. The etch is very good — strong and legible.

About Atkins

"Sheffield Saw Works" was a brand name used by E.C Atkins & Co. It carries a generic Warranted Superior medallion rather than a maker's own mark. E.C. Atkins & Co. was founded in Indianapolis in 1857 and became one of Disston's strongest competitors in the early 1900s, especially for industrial and circular saws.

Questions about this saw? Email me at aaron@benchandchisel.com — I answer them all.
— Aaron, Bench & Chisel