Peace Handsaws

Harvey W. Peace made three distinct types of handsaws.

Traditional straight-back saws in the English style were made throughout the company’s history.

Later on the company offered “Perfection” style handsaws in the more more modern style that Disston pioneered in the early 1880s. These saws “let-in” handles in which the handles sits in a slot cut into the saw plate, bringing the user’s hand closer to the center of the saw and changing the cutting dynamics. These saws also featured a skew back rather than a straight back. These saws also featured Peace’s patent reinforcing strip, a small piece of nickel-plated steel at the heel of the handle to protect it from damage.

The third and most uncommon type of handsaw Peace made is the Andrews patent handsaw. These saws are unique in that the saw handle is let in to the blade to such an extent that the plate extends part way through the grip of the handle. When attempting to identify a Peace handsaw determining the type is a good first step to narrow down the possibilities.

Peace’s “Perfection” Hand Saws

Introduced between 1883 and 1884, Peace’s Perfection line of saws (The P70, P68, P47, P45, P37, and P27) are easily distinguished by their “let-in” handles similar to Disston’s D-8 and D-100 models. This improvement was intended to bring the user’s hand “closer to the work” and by moving the saw’s center of gravity. These saws also featured Peace’s patented nickel-plated reinforcing plate which was designed to “stiffen the heel and strengthen the handle”.