Rose Tools, Inc. phone 479-787-7673
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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!

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1912 Disston Handbook on Saws
1912 Disston Handbook on Saws
Cover

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click here to download 1912 Disston Catalog pdf file 3.13mb

1918 Henry Disston & Sons Incorparted Catalog
1918 Henry Disston & Sons Catalog

click here to download Disston 1918 catalog pdf file 6.45mb

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1939disstoncoverpage.jpg

click here to download 1939 Disston catalog pdf file 6.64mb

New 3

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click here to download Disston small handout catalog file 3.79mb

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click here to download Disston 1945 catalog pdf file 7.19mb

 
   
   
   

(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
 
 




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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