Hi Roger,

I cannot be very much help, I'm afraid.

The handle looks like Beech. The patent date wording on the medallion is funny if it is a British saw.

Patented Dec 21 1859

Doesn't show up for much related to hand saws, but the same month/day but with a year of 1869 does show up as for saw nuts. It is the Munger patent:
Datamp

The saw looks like a Richardson Brothers, but instead of a shield/coat of arms they had basically a maltese cross.

Sheffield Saw Works from Cincinnati had a coat of arms--I think--but I cannot find my only example to check. They were later purchased by Disston.

If the patent date is actually of the year 1869 and if the patent date refers to the saw nuts/bolts, there were 3 people who used that patent:

Shurly Dietrich - Galt, Ontario Canada
Richardson Brothers - Newark, NJ
Harvey W. Peace - Brooklyn, NY

As you are from Canada, who knows, that could be a Dietrich saw, but I have never seen one.

More non-information than you wanted, I'm sure. Thought I would share as far as I could get without a sharp closeup of the medallion.

Take care, Mike

Oops, update to this being a Deitrich saw...they used a Maple leaf on the medallion.

Gotta keep searching...Mike

Thanks a lot MikeW. As to the date it could very well be 1869. The 5 is not very clear and so small.

Roger

You are very welcome, Roger.

If I find anything else out in my travels along the web, I'll post the findings. In any case, the saw looks to be in good shape from the picture. Good find!

Take care, Mike

Here's my version of the great saw find.

About a month ago I go to the dump after work and strike out. I'm standing there talking with the Dump Miester, a guy walks behind me and drops a small Sears tool box in the metal hopper. The DM asks if there's anything in it. He replies it full. As we're checking it out I turn to see him about to drop a large saw into the hopper. IT HAS A NIB! I stop him before he drops it and take the Comalong he has in the other hand.
We're parked side-by-each so I walk to the back of his truck and we start loading mine from his. A huge mandrel with a grinding wheel set up on it. Two totes of tools mostly wrenchs.
I get the saw home, it's a 26" #9 Disston, 5t/" both the handle and the medallion date it to 1880 and it has a partial paper label around the medallion.

Now that's a great find--and the saw looks to be in great condition!

Congratulations.

Geez, where are these numbskulls when I'm at the dump...

Thanks for posting. It's a beauty.

Take care, Mike

That is a dandy! I believe a hearty "You Suck!"* is in order.

* In case anyone is unfamiliar with the Old Tools mailing list, "You Suck" is the traditional form of congratulations for a good find.

FWIW, old saws with split nuts are before 1862, I read somewhere.

And Henry Disston introduced the Skew Back (concave) in 1873.