Replies

1. 
   Glaucon | May 26, 2006 07:24pm | #1

   Cooke's Sharpening in York, PA

   Reasonable prices, quality work, fast turn around.

   Glaucon

   If you don't think too good, then don't think too much...

2. 
   dherzig | May 26, 2006 08:20pm | #2

   I can't speak to their skills, but if there is a Woodcraft near you, they do sharpening.

3. 
   mwenz | May 26, 2006 09:13pm | #3

   You simply cannot go wrong with Steve Cooke. Too many people recommend him for him to not be good.

   http://www.cookessharpening.com/

   Take care, Mike

4. 
   SawdustSteve | May 27, 2006 03:44am | #4

   I don't know where you're located, but... go into your local cabinet-maker and ask him where he sends his saws for sharpening. Some saw sharpening services are better than others, so have them do one and see if you like it. One word of caution... some shops engrave your name onto the saw blade so it doesn't get mixed up with other customers saws. If the saws are valuable 'old-timers' you don't want your name engraved into them. Telling them not to put your name onto won't work, ads some backroom guy will do it anyway. SawdustSteve

5. 
   Pondfish | May 27, 2006 03:31pm | #5

   If you have the old saws, why not learn to sharpen them yourself?  FWW has several good articles showing you how to do it, and you can pick up sets and even a Disston clamp on eBay for cheap.

   I did this for my set of 5 pre-1920 Disstons, and I'm glad I did!  Sharpening your own antique tools gives a nice feel-good feeling.

   Recommending the use of "Hide Signatures" option under "My Preferences" since 2005
1. 
   EdHarrison | May 28, 2006 01:12am | #6

   I with you on that one, PF.  Handsaw sharpening is easy once you get into it.  No fuss, no muss, instant results.

   I recently bought some Norton stones for sharpening carving tools and there was a triangular shaped fine Arkansas stone in there (shaped like a triangular file).  Ever used something like that on a handsaw?  I imagine you could get them to just about a razor level of sharpeness if you could figure out a way to work the burr off of each tooth.

   Ed

1. 
   Pondfish | May 28, 2006 02:54pm | #7

   No, I've never used a triangular stone.  I've accumulated several different triangular files for the different saws I have, and I did pick up a set of machinist's/jewelers files--very fine, but also pretty small.   Not usefule for a 7pt saw, but useful on the smaller ones...Recommending the use of "Hide Signatures" option under "My Preferences" since 2005

6. 
   lwj2 | May 28, 2006 08:55pm | #8

   I'm looking to get some old Disston handsaws sharpened. Who can suggest a decent shop to send them out to?
   *********

   I sharpen my own, although if I run into broken teeth I take them to our local sharpener, Jamison's:

   Jamison's Sharpening Inc 5630 Grandin Road Extension Roanoke, VA (Virginia) 24018-7862 Phone: (540) 989-2744

   Here's an article on how to do it, note that if you don't want to bother with a sharpening vise, you can use a pair of 2x in your own workbench vise.

   http://www.vintagesaws.com/library/primer/sharp.html

   Leon
7. 
   cowtown | May 29, 2006 02:06am | #9

   most saw sharpening shops around here will still sharpen handsaws.... with one caveat- really old saws which may need retoothing are made of steel which is proported to be (and I've heard this from more than one sharpening shop) made of steel which is too brittle for the bunch retoothing system that is in common use. Seems like even if they are succesful in their modern retoothing methods, there may be fractures which cause the teeth to break off when they grind/file.

   Handsaw sharpening is likely a loss-leader for them, done more for the convenience of their clients rather than to make profit.

   OTOH, good handsaws is like good friends. Gotta find them and maintain them.

   FYI, there are nail cutting handsaws out there, most companies made a version of them, and they had to be returned to the factory to be sharpened. Disston 340, Simmonds 15, Atkins 21, Spear and Jackson 88B etc ; any of them saws will make yer saw sharpener wanna feed you into their machines.

   Eric in Cowtown.

8. 
   alanplanesaw | May 29, 2006 05:08pm | #10

   Cooks in York, PA.  He has a Disston museum.  He collects, trades, buys, sells, and KNOWS Disston handsaws.  Mailing a saw to him can be cheaper than driving. I live about 45 minutes from him and he has sharpened several of my old Disstons.    He sharpens new and old saws for people from all over the nation.

   Alan - planesaw

9. 
   charlesstanford | May 29, 2006 06:57pm | #11

   Cooke's like somebody said or learn it yourself.