Snip
From: Scott Grandstaff
>



Sadly, the only way you can have a real saw is to suffer.
I wish it was easier.
>
  Even if someone hand files a saw for you, its a saw, it needs to be 
filed again soon.
   Then what?
Now you are mailing back and forth at ruinous expense and wasting 
endless time,
  and handling gorillas trounce on your precious cargo anyway.
Unsnip

I have used hand saws from a young age. 
Dad’s saws were relatively sharp. I don’t remember a specific distance expected
per stroke but then I was about 11 when he got his first circular saw. We didn’t
use hand saws much after that.
I did have a brief reintroduction to their use when Mr. Reeg had us use a cross
cut in middle school shop class. If I recall correctly that saw cut well.
Straight and to the line with an easy run across a 1 x 4.
After falling down the rabbit hole called the Old Tool mailing list I drug out
the saws Dad gave me and learned to sharpen them. Can’t say I can get through a
2x4 in three strokes but I can get as good a line as I remember from middle
school.
If I built more projects I could dull a saw. As it is I’ll have sharp saws when
I die from the last batch I sharpened.
As far as prices I had visions of selling saws with hand sharpened, finely set
teeth. I can buy saws for $10.00 all day that are good enough to sharpen and
use. We’ve had the “How long to sharpen rant before so let’s not go there.” In
my case I did the online search routine and found saws for hundreds that boasted
hand sharpened English Spring Steel and proprietary tooth conformation. I also
found painters saws.  You know the kind where pitting is so severe that you’d be
hard pressed to find a spot without one.  Two bucks and that’s only because they
have a usable set of screws.
After cleaning and sharpening a moderately good saw I’ll have about 4 hrs into
it. With my skill level I’d think the saw is worth about $20.00 as a saw.
Collectors have their own criteria. They are not always connected to my plane of
existence.
So if I had to price a saw I would bracket them:
Painter saws: not willing to purchase. 
User in as found condition: $10.00
Sharp user: $20.00
Collector ready: whatever the market will bare. 


All the above boils down to:
a. Painter saws: not worth the trouble. 
b. Users as found: If I can pick it up for $2.00 I’ll clear $3.00 after sale.
Not worth it.
c. Collector ready: I have a few that I’ll keep because they were my relatives
saws. The rest of my saws are too far down the road to perdition to be
collected.



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