We have several links to assorted antique tool catalogs which you can download for free, all
are in adobe pdf form so you will need the latest version of the adobe reader which you can download free at www.adobe.com
This website does cost money to run, the information here is free for all but if you could
make a small donation it would help us out a lot to maintain the costs and to keep this site running!
(This information was provided by Disston Precision INC.)
Since 1840, when Henry Disston opened his saw shop in Philadelphia, the name Disston became synonymous with quality,
reliability, and service to customers. Few, if any, industrial pioneers were more committed to providing quality products
and services to his customers than Henry Disston.
In 1855, Henry Disston made the first crucible saw steel in America. Disston made saw-steel was used to manu- facture
his hand saws, circular saws, and other metal products. The history of modern saw making most notable improvements originated
at the Disston Saw Works. Disston employed 8,000 workers and its facilities covered a sixty-six acre site in Northeast
Philadelphia.
Today, the Company is owned by R.A.F. Industries, but the Henry Disston spirit still lives on. Our excellence
lies in supplying industry with hardened, die tempered, and precision ground alloy plate and sheets made to the most exacting
tolerances. We, at Disston Precision Inc., are still committed to becoming and remaining our valued Customers Choice.
Our Manufacturing, Engineering, and Sales Departments are at your service; if we can not help you we will try
to find someone who can. Our desire to help our customers and potential customers has not changed in the last 161 years,
and we intend to see that it never will.
The information below was obtained from The Directory of American Toolmakers book published by
EAIA which you can visit thier website through this link http://www.eaiainfo.org/
Henry Disston & Sons Philadelphia, PA 1871 (but actually origianted in the year 1840). Dissotn made hammers, knives,
levels, marking gauges, pliers, saw tools, saws and squares. The company used numerous combinations and configurations of
the amker name, city, patent dates, brand names, etc. One common additon was "Keystone Tool for Saw) Works"; another was a
figure of a scale inside a keystone outline.
This company succeded Heny Disston & Son which had succeeded Heny Disston. Therre were several subdivisions using
various combinations of the Disston name and the company acquired several other companies and continued to run them under
thier earlier names. Henry's sons were: Hamilton, Albert H., Horace. C., William and Jacob Steelman; it is not known which
one was the & Son. Some of the other companies acuired by this company or its predecessors, and their years of acquistion
are: Valdridge & Hogan Saw Co. 1901; Bringhurst & Verree 1866; William Cresson 1862; P. Fraley & Co. 1859; John
Gunniss 1861; Hill & Davenport 1868; Johnson & Con (a) way 1857; Harvey W. Peace Co. 1890; Pennsylvania Saw Co. 1892;
Richardson Bros. 1890; William & Harvey Rowland 1870; James Turner 1867; Waterhouse Saw Co. 1874; Wheeler, Madden, &
Clemson 1893; Woodrough & Clemson 1893; and Woodrough & McParlin 1893.
Some of the brand names used by the company not necessarily before 1900 were: G. Bishop; Browns; T. Taylor; Challenge;
Jackson, IMP; Keystone Saw Mfg. ; Penna. Saw works; Phila. Saw Co.; Black Diamond Saw CO.; Electric; Blue Jacket; Clipper;
Standard; OUr Saw; Enterprise; Advance Special; JOH; Jackson Gorman; Champion Tooth; Diamond Tooth; Tenon Tooth; Tuttle Tooth;
Lancet Tooth; ZIP; Virginian; Great Southern; Wizard; Oriole; Suwanee; Buzz; Jesse Lane; Keen Edge; Triumph; Treat American;
Mechanics Own; Cant Beat Our Saw; ACME; Davis; Eclipse and Marshall.
The Company was bought out by H.K. Porter Co. of Pittsburgh in 1955, but they continued to mark saws with the Disston
name, possibly until 1975 when they were bought by the Swedish saw Company Sandvik. The company is now called Disston Precision
Inc. and is owned by R.A.F. Industries, but the Henry Disston spirit still lives on
I would like to thank Disston Precision Inc. for providing some history on this company
and for granting me permission to show some of the old catalogs.
Also I would like to thank the Early American Industries Association for the help in gaining some history
on this company
We have several links to assorted antique tool catalogs which you can download for free, all
are in adobe pdf form so you will need the latest version of the adobe reader which you can download free at www.adobe.com
This website does cost money to run At BizLand, the term "bandwidth" refers to
the total amount of information that has been served to visitors from your site during a given month. BizLand allows a certain
amount of bandwidth usage each month, based on my hosting membership.
Every file on my Web site has a size (e.g., 24K); and every time a file is downloaded by a visitor, my bandwidth
usage goes up by that amount. , the information here is free for all but if you could make a small donation it would
help us out a lot to maintain the costs and to keep the old catalogs coming!
