The Disston company was established in 1840 by Henry Disston as the Disston Saw Works and initially only made saws. In 1855 he cast the first crucible saw steel ever made in America. He started also making files in 1865.
This company is now know as Disston Precision Inc. and is owned by R.A.F. Industries. Their contact information is 6795 State Road, Philadelphia, PA 19135 USA, Ph: (215) 338-1200 or (800) 238-1007, Fax: (215) 338-7060.
See DATM (1999) pg. 227 - 229 for a complete listing of the Disstons and their tool manufacturing operations.
The following companies were acquired by Disston over the years:
Johnson & Conaway 1857
P. Fraley & Co. 1859
John H. Gunniss 1861
William Cresson 1862
Bringhurst & Verree 1866
James Turner 1867
Aaron Nichols Unknown
Hill & Davenport 1868
Wm. & Harvey Rowland 1870
Waterhouse Saw Co. 1874
Richardson Bros. 1890
Harvey W. Peace Co. 1890
Pennsylvania Saw Co. 1892
Wheeler, Madden & Clemson 1893
Woodrough & McParlin 1893
Woodrough & Clemson 1893
Baldridge & Hogan Saw Co. 1901
American Saw Co. 1901
References
Baker, Phil. (Fall 2008). Phil's saws: Henry Disston and the ergonomic backsaw. Fine Tool Journal. 58(2). pg. 10-2. IS.
Henry Disston & Sons. (1876). Price list. Reprinted in 1994 by Astragal Press.
Mr. Disston's view of saw nibs. The
Tool Chest. 54.
Disston, Henry &
Sons, Inc. Handbook for lumbermen with a treatise on the construction
of saws and how to keep them in order.
Disston, Henry& Sons. (June 1912). Disston handbook on saws: Containing a treatise on the construction of saws and how to keep them in order. Together with other information of kindred character.
Disston,
Henry & Sons. The Disston history: History of the works.
Disston,
Henry & Sons. The saw in history.
Disston,
Henry & Sons. Saw, tool and file book.
Disston,
Henry & Sons, Inc. Disston saw, tool and file manual: How to choose
and use tools.
Disston,
Henry & Sons, Inc. Disston saw, tool and file manual.
Kebabian, John S. Early
American factories: The Disston factory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The
Chronicle. 23(3).
Kuc, Wiktor. 2011. Walter Cresson, Philadelphia sawmaker. The Chronicle 64(3): 108-20.
Morgan, Paul W. The Henry
Disston family enterprise: Part one of a three-part article. The Chronicle.
38(2).
Taran, Pete. Disston, the
good, the better, the best. The Fine Tool Journal. 48(1).
Taran,
Pete. Disston type study: The medallions: Part one. Fine Tool Journal.
50(3).
Links
Official website: Disston
Precision Inc.
The Disstonian
Institute: Online Reference of Disston Saws.
Rose Antique Tools biography
on Disston.
Everything Saws, from Air
Saws to Zero Clearance contains many links to sites both about Disston
or selling their saws.
Vintage
Saws Library contains reprints of many references written by Pete Taran
in The Fine Tool Journal on Disston saws and other saw related information.
http://www.disstonprecision.com/ - Official website
http://www.disstonianinstitute.com/index.html - Online Reference of Disston Saws.
http://www.roseantiquetools.com/index.html - Rose Antique biography on Disston
http://sawshq.com/disstonsaws/ - Everything Saws, from Air Saws to Zero Clearance contains many links to sites both about Disston or selling their saws.
http://www.vintagesaws.com/cgi-bin/frameset.cgi?left=main&right=/library/library.html -Vintage Saws Library contains reprints of many references written by Pete Taran in The Fine Tool Journal on Disston saws and other saw-related information.
Disston
tools in the Museum collection.
