Saw sharpening tip

[Philip Davies]

Why, you might ask, is the saw vice inclined?
Well, I have already filed all the teeth with it horizontal. But inclining the saw at an angle, so that the light falls on the tips, shows where there are some slight flats, which can then be tidied up.
Flatting the teeth beforehand is probably the most important stage: it shows up what you got wrong last time! Bob Court, carpentry teacher at Reading Tech said of sharpening , “Well, at least it’s better than before”.
There are so many old saws about, it’s an advantage to practise on them. It’s usually quicker to sharpen a saw than go and buy a hardpoint. (And, incidentally, if you grind off the broken hardpoint teeth, you can recut teeth in it, and it will stay pretty sharp: I can’t tell whether the steel is better, or not.
Excuse me now, I must go and clear up all that clutter.

[Toolmaker51]

Does anyone black the teeth with candle soot, making untouched areas visible?

[Philip Davies]

Does anyone black the teeth with candle soot, making untouched areas visible?

Yes, I’ve done that, but a sharpie is better. The light was good yesterday, so it was unnecessary.