Rare 1880s Richardson Bros. hand saw | Restoration

In this video I restore a rare hand saw while preserving the patina. The Richardson brothers began making saws in Newark, NJ in 1859 and the company was absorbed by Disston in 1890. This No. 7 rip saw dates to the 1880s. The blade is of extremely high quality.
My goal in tool restoration is to make the tool clean and functional while preserving all of the unique signs of its age and history.

Пікірлер: 63

  • @pgoessnitzer
    @pgoessnitzer4 ай бұрын

    Nice job! You did a nice preservation and did not go overboard on restoration. By that I mean some guys make tools look brand new again, to me that wipes out the tool's history. Well done! Cheers from Oregon!

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    4 ай бұрын

    Thanks @pgoessnitzer ! My first priority is always to preserve the tool's history!

  • @carsongardner4219
    @carsongardner42198 ай бұрын

    Keep on rescuing the old ones. Really enjoyed watching your gift.

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    8 ай бұрын

    Thanks @carsongardner4219, will do!

  • @YankeeAxeToolCo.
    @YankeeAxeToolCo.4 ай бұрын

    Decent. Glad to see a proper refurbish without evaporust or wire wheels.

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    4 ай бұрын

    Thanks @YankeeAxeToolCo. !

  • @Honkykong19
    @Honkykong195 ай бұрын

    Love to see these old saws come back to life. I got a few myself

  • @harharmahadev5715
    @harharmahadev57152 ай бұрын

    🎉🎉greetings from Suriname 🇸🇷. Nice job Sir

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    2 ай бұрын

    Thanks @harharmahadev5715 !

  • @leonardoarriagada7103
    @leonardoarriagada71032 күн бұрын

    Brillante y mucha paciencia

  • @tommyherbert3931
    @tommyherbert393111 ай бұрын

    My first time watching andi enjoyed what I saw. Awesome restoration. It's great to see old tools restored and being used again. They work well today as they did in the time they did when they were made. Some people would trash them and buy a new one. You paid great attention on the job. Glad to see it.

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    11 ай бұрын

    Thanks Tommy, I couldn't agree more! Glad you enjoyed it!

  • @kennyodernicht7324
    @kennyodernicht73243 ай бұрын

    Very nice saw👌. I also really enjoy restoring old tools. They just have that certain charm. And the story behind it

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    3 ай бұрын

    Couldn't agree more @kennyodernicht7324 !

  • @kelvincolemanAnimal
    @kelvincolemanAnimal2 жыл бұрын

    Thank god I found your channel. Finally someone that’s not afraid of a bit of hard work you did a lovely job on the old saw without power tools. You used the same prose’s as my farther did back in the day because he couldn’t afford new tools so restoring them to there former state. A pleasure to watch and your collection of proper tools is very impressive. You have left me one happy man thank you 👍👍👍😊😊😊♥️

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    2 жыл бұрын

    Wow, thanks for the kind words! Welcome to the channel!

  • @toolscarriagesmodellbauand7246
    @toolscarriagesmodellbauand72462 жыл бұрын

    Its a pleasure for me to watch what you'r doing with that old saw. Great restoration. Well done.

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much!

  • @crossgrainwoodproductsltd9230
    @crossgrainwoodproductsltd92305 ай бұрын

    As someone who has been restoring antique tools, both hand and powered , I've neve seen or used motor oil to clean a blade before. It came out great. You could bring it back even more be using something like WD-40 which is not as heavy as motor oil. I think you may find any residue getting gummy after use in combination with sawdust and dirt. I would recommend not using find steel wool until after you sanded the grime off. If you use a fine grit it will take it right off. A heavier grit like 80 or 120 would remove the finish, which I do for a full restoration and after the wood is cleaned of dust, I would use as you did, Danish oil, or some other good penitrating oil. Hemp is very good as well. I would not put a shellac on, maybe wipe on poly, but honestly, the wood becomes very dry after 100 or more years and after the first application, I will go back a few more times, letting it dry in-between. Saws are one of my favorite tools to use and restore. I once came across a crudely painted saw at a tag sale. The had it hanging on the barn at one point. I looked very carefully and I had an idea that it was a mid 1800s saw and fairly rare. I bought for $8.00 and stripped the paint off. And sure enough it was an early limited produced Disston panel saw. It was worth a couple of hundred dollars 20 years ago, but I kept it instead. I use it occasionally, but it is hanging on the wall of my shop along with other tools I have collected. Even the rare handplanes I've restored, I use them all of the time. If I was going to sell them, I wouldn't use them. One of the rabbit planes I have that is made out of nickle, brass, and Indian Rosewood. It's a gorgeous looking plane, but it also cuts like a hot knife thru butter. A real pleasure to use. I look forward to your other videos! Thank you for posting this.

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    5 ай бұрын

    Thanks @crossgrainwoodproductsltd9230, I enjoyed reading your post!

  • @kornkraker
    @kornkraker2 жыл бұрын

    Nice job on the saw. I have used water and wet/dry paper with good results but I think I will use your oil method next time. I have a can of butchers wax in the basement since the 70s that looks just like that. Count me in.

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    2 жыл бұрын

    Awesome! There's nothing better than vintage Butcher's wax.

  • @jamesballock1768
    @jamesballock1768 Жыл бұрын

    Finally, someone else that knows how to do the job right !.

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you James !

  • @madswellejus
    @madswellejus2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for making and sharing this video. Very nice work!

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    2 жыл бұрын

    Glad you enjoyed it!

  • @moonlightsnowfall6734
    @moonlightsnowfall67342 жыл бұрын

    Nice work, I like how you preserved the age and patina. Saw is a bear.

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you. Yes it should last a few more lifetimes!

  • @clappercl
    @clappercl2 жыл бұрын

    Great video!

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Craig!

  • @gardeningpreacher
    @gardeningpreacher2 жыл бұрын

    I'm fairly new to old handsaws. That's one beautiful ripping saw. I love that handle, I bet it feels amazing in the hand. I have a couple old Disston's & Sons that have a similar shape and I never get tired of holding them (and cutting with them). Great job!

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you! Yes it is lovely to hold. The craftsmen of old really took a lot of pride in the fit and finish of their saw handles. I have a few early 19th century examples that are works of art. I could do a whole video just on saw handles.

  • @guidokotters3614
    @guidokotters36146 ай бұрын

    🙋‍♂️👏👏👏👏👏👍

  • @nickmastro9287
    @nickmastro928711 ай бұрын

    Very nice restoration, glad to see you kept the history of the saw rather than making it look brand new. You have a new subscriber. Hope to see more in the future.

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    11 ай бұрын

    Thanks Nick! Welcome to the channel!

  • @carlogle6207
    @carlogle6207 Жыл бұрын

    Very cool

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you!

  • @mikemccollum4521
    @mikemccollum45212 жыл бұрын

    It cuts true. Thank you

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    2 жыл бұрын

    You bet!

  • @garybeaton3802
    @garybeaton3802 Жыл бұрын

    Glad to see that you did not give the English resto treatment to the brass saw nuts and label. If the case of a very rusted saw with pitting I have been using a palm sander and one of the rust removal solutions. For a tarnish blade I might start with a very fine sand paper and see what happens. Have you had any luck preserving the etching on any other projects of this age?

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    Жыл бұрын

    Hi Gary, I've been able to preserve the etch on many antique saws by using gentle methods. I focus on removing the loose orange/brown layer of surface rust by hand with scraping, fine sand paper, scotch bright, and steel wool, and stop once the dark layer of protective patina is reached. I avoid rust removers since they strip the patina along with the surface rust and tend to expose the steel to future rusting if not painted.

  • @6411258
    @64112582 жыл бұрын

    So satisfying. Well done. First I've seen OW-40 used. What put you onto that?

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you Greg! 0W-40 is just the motor oil I have on hand. I often use 3-In-One oil as well.

  • @einufo
    @einufo2 жыл бұрын

    You got such nice old tools- what do you think about a virtual workshop tour? Greetings Tino

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks, that sounds like a great idea

  • @donloughrey1615
    @donloughrey16152 жыл бұрын

    Nice video, thanks. I'm wondering why you didn't 'set' the teeth. Although it does seem to track well during the rip.

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    2 жыл бұрын

    Hi Don, good question! I often find that the teeth on old saws have been given too much set. In this case, they can be sharpened a few times before you have to set the teeth again. I like to work with a minimal amount of set - just enough to prevent binding but not so much that the saw rattles around in the kerf. High quality vintage saws were also "taper ground", meaning the steel is a bit thicker at the tooth line than along the back - this reduces the amount of set needed.

  • @donloughrey1615

    @donloughrey1615

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@thehandtoolworks Thank you, that makes great sense. I'll be looking for more vids.

  • @amossoffer6962
    @amossoffer696211 ай бұрын

    Would you please give more details and links to the Danish oil. Thank you much

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    11 ай бұрын

    I used Watco danish oil: a.co/d/czT9JFG

  • @k9six185
    @k9six185 Жыл бұрын

    I like the razor blade technique

  • @ohcrapwhatsnext
    @ohcrapwhatsnext7 ай бұрын

    In your young expertise, have you ever encountered a Richardson Co complete saw?

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    7 ай бұрын

    Hi @ocrapwhatsnext, I have 5 Richardson Bros hand saws in the collection. They all have the R-Best medallion, so date after 1878. I haven't come across any earlier than that.

  • @danielmaitland5193
    @danielmaitland5193 Жыл бұрын

    How much is that saw approximately?

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    Жыл бұрын

    These are pretty rare so it's hard to say. Maybe 100-150 USD range depending on condition, but that's just a guess.

  • @antonineusser3697
    @antonineusser36972 жыл бұрын

    Mettez les gants de protection svp...

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    2 жыл бұрын

    bonne idée :)

  • @phaul
    @phaul7 ай бұрын

    do you need to flatten the teeth everytime you resharpen your saw?

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    7 ай бұрын

    hi @phaul, I run a file across the tips of the saw teeth (this is called jointing) to bring them to a uniform height before sharpening. This adds a small flat spot on each tooth which is then filed to a sharp point. On old saws, the teeth are usually badly uneven ('out of joint') so a lot of jointing is needed. Once the saw has been restored, I usually just very lightly joint (eg one or two light file strokes) before resharpening when needed. My aim is always to remove as little steel as possible to maximize the life of the saw.

  • @sebastianaakre7667
    @sebastianaakre766711 ай бұрын

    why do you use engine oil? :)

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    11 ай бұрын

    Hi Sebastian, that's just what I had on hand. something like 3-in-1 oil would also be fine.

  • @lancerudy9934
    @lancerudy99342 жыл бұрын

    Great video!

  • @thehandtoolworks

    @thehandtoolworks

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks!