Fulton Tenon Saw

[Dennis Mills]

Hi Folks,

With all of the tools I have been selling recently, you would think I would pass up any additional tools - not the case.

I stopped by the Restore yesterday where Bob Buchholtz said there was something interesting I should see (I should have run for the door). It  was an old tenon saw. Long story short, I bought the saw, brought it home and cleaned it up tonight. Some Evap-O-Rust, cold bluing solution and some Mr. Metal metal polish and I discovered I had a Fulton saw.

The Fulton Saw Manufacturers Company, est. 1870 In Boston Massachusetts. Acquired by Sears, Roebuck & Co. in 1875, and acquired by United Hardware and Tool Corp in 1910. The etch reads:

The Fulton Saw

        Extra

   Spring Steel

Hand Made and Hand Filed and Set

    Fully Warranted

15ppi rip filed with a 0.030" thick plate. Everything is in good shape except the teeth. Some are filed rip, some are filed crosscut, some are big, some are small, etc. Not the worst I've seen, but pretty bad. I did a quick pass with a file, and it does cut, but it will be easier to file off all of the old teeth and give it a new set of teeth..............but I have a toy project to work on, plus a backpack to pack, so it will have to wait.

Sometime in the future I will probably sell it - stay tuned.

Dennis

PS: How do I know about the saw? I have a book titled Hand-saw Makers of North America. Yeah, I know; it's a sickness.

[Dennis Mills]

Hi Folks,

More on that Fulton saw I mentioned in an email on July 22. Tonight I filed in a new set of teeth, sharpened and set them. After correcting for set it saws straight as an arrow. One thing though, I think 15ppi is too fine for this saw. I know that is what it originally had, but with a 0.030" thick plate it seems to saw too slowly for my taste. I'm thinking that I might dub these teeth and put some in at 12 or 13ppi. Two or three teeth per inch difference doesn't sound like much, but it will make a world of difference.

Another thing I noticed is that this plate seems softer than the Disstons, Simonds, Atkins, or Bishop saws I have sharpened in the past (or the ones I make myself for that matter). Still a good saw - the plate is perfectly straight (some folks commented on my 'dead straight' comment used in the past), the handle is very comfortable (that's for all of you that like to stand behind a saw all day🤪), and there is little pitting. Sounds like an advertisement, eh? Not selling it yet - new teeth and then some play time with it.

Dennis

PS: One odd thing about this saw is the medallion. It says Warranted Superior, but it has what is called an optimistic eagle in earlier Disston and other name saws I have seen (the older ones). Warranted Superior was usually put on hardware store saws (made by the big names). Those same big names usually put their names on the medallions of their better/best saws, although I see that Disston had Warranted Superior on the medallion of an 1846-47 saw (Disston started in 1840-41). Probably more information than you wanted.