Atkins 55 two man Crosscut Saw restoration

Why would anyone want to use an old two man crosscut saw when chainsaws work so well?  Why not?  When set up and sharp they cut well, are good exercise, and don't make annoying noise.  They don't use gasoline, don't smell bad, and are a good tool to use to teach teenagers about wood cutting safety.  And as Blacksmiths because we have or can make the tools to sharpen and maintain a saw.

As a Blacksmith I have bought old tools at auctions, and sometimes end up with more tools than I want.  I have some old crosscut saws that I have been cleaning up to use around the yard to cut up unwanted Box Elder trees that are blocking the view of the water.

When I started looking through my tool stash I thought I'd find two or three saws.  Turns out I have around 9!  Don't remember buying them all, so I must have gotten most of them as things thrown in when buying old stuff at farm auctions.

One that I have cleaned up is a Atkins 55, Silver Steel, Segment Ground, made in Indianapolis Indiana.

It is a Perforated Lance Tooth pattern.  That means it has four cutting teeth for each raker.  The raker end looks like a M and cleans out the cut chips.  This pattern tended to be used more for softwood than hardwood, but can be used for anything.  This area has a lot of farmland between Lake Ontario and the Adirondacks.  Farmers and loggers cut hardwood for firewood, timber for Railroad Ties, softwood pulpwood for the paper mills, and timber for building on their farms.

I am not an expert at all, but I have cleaned it up and used it to cut some Box Elder.  It needs more sharpening and the Rakers need swaging to better peel chips.  But it works!  That is a 6 inch branch.  It is a lot slower than a chainsaw.  But it is also a lot faster than an ax!