Blue Grass Saw Restoration - Reinvention

After determining that there isn't enough of the plate left under the tote to warrant a restoration of this Belknap Blue Grass handsaw, I decided to cut down the plate and make a short toolbox saw (sometimes called a table saw, or a pruning saw.) The old tote is too big and hangs wrong for a shorter saw so I'm going to design and make a new tote out of walnut.
Belknap Blue Grass handsaw 26-inch, crosscut saw with a swayback filed at 8 points per inch (PPI) which has seen better days, gets a new life as a toolbox saw. Belknap Hardware and Manufacturing Company was located in Louisville, Kentucky, founded by William Belknap in 1840, and made many items, under a variety of brands, but Blue Grass was perhaps the best known.
This Blue Grass Tools catalog from the Internet Archive is labeled as 1980s, but based on the text, indicating that Belknap, Inc., which they are called by this time, is 130 years old, it looks to me like this catalog may be from the early 1970s. The style of it certainly seems more like the 70s than the 80s, to me. archive.org/details/BlueGrass...
The catalog shows a huge variety of tools offered by Belknap, including hammers and axes, which they are well known for, as well as chisels, saws, and a variety of other things. Additional catalog and advertising images, including scanned pages from some 1930s catalogs featuring Blue Grass axes and hammers, can be found at Rose Antiques Tools website.
This page also has additional information on the history of Belknap Hardware and Manufacturing Company: www.roseantiquetools.com/id5.html
Blackburn tools has a great guide on saw tool geometry at www.blackburntools.com/article... I've also downloaded some of their tote patterns for use as guides for my own tote designs.
Leave a comment while you're here, and thanks for stopping by!

[@haroldschultz5864]

What a beautiful resurrection . The size is perfect and practical . You have inspired me to repurpose on for my own . Thank you for a very instructive video . Cheers

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

Thanks Harold! This was a fund project to do, I do hope you make one for yourself, and I hope I get a chance to see the results.

[@haroldschultz5864]

@@moonlightsnowfall6734 you opened my eyes to the physics of tote and blade geometry , after I watched your video I studied my saws and realized why I like using some over others . Thanks again . Do you have a favorite Facebook group? Cheers

[@gabyB25]

🤩😎 beau manche👍et belle saw ,so good !

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

Thanks Gaby, I've made a few saws like this, rather than throwing away a worn out saw. Merci!

[@roybailey9554]

Nice job looks amazing , what they uses to do with that kind of handle was put a dowle through the centre of the handle to stop it splitting on the grain , just a thought, best wishes from a vintage Carpenters in England 🇬🇧

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

Thanks Roy, this was a fun project. I've had a few saws that have had holes drilled up through the handle and dowels added. I haven't felt like I've needed to do it myself yet, but its good to know I can. I'll take advice from a pro whenever I can get it. Thanks for writing.