Digging through grandpa’s tools and found these weird pliers. They have a small brass dial with numbers on the nose and don’t seem to grip anything tight. Any ideas?

A vintage saw set’s main function is to adjust the ‘set’ of a saw blade’s teeth. Setting refers to the slight outward bend of each tooth, alternating left and right, which prevents the saw from binding in the cut by creating a kerf wider than the blade’s thickness.
This adjustment is critical for the saw’s performance, as it allows for smoother, faster cuts. Without the proper set, a saw could become stuck in the wood or produce uneven cuts. The saw set tool enables users to maintain their saws, extending their life and efficiency.

4. How The Tool Bends Individual Saw Teeth On Purpose
The saw set works by using its specially designed jaws to bend each individual tooth of a saw blade. The tool’s anvil or plunger applies pressure at a precise point on the tooth, bending it slightly outward. This slight bend, typically only a few degrees, is enough to ensure that the saw blade does not bind in the cut.
Each tooth is set in an alternating pattern, which means every second tooth is bent in the opposite direction. This alternating set creates a kerf, or a channel in the wood, that is slightly wider than the saw blade itself, allowing for smooth, efficient cutting.

5. Decoding The Numbers On The Dial: Tooth Size And Set Angle
The numbers on the brass dial of a saw set reflect the tooth size and the corresponding set angle needed for different types of saw blades. Typically, smaller numbers correspond to finer teeth, which are used for more delicate cuts, while larger numbers are for coarser teeth, suitable for rough cuts.
Adjusting the dial changes the angle at which the tool bends each tooth, ensuring that the saw blade cuts effectively for its specific use case. Understanding and utilizing these settings can greatly enhance the performance of a hand saw, making this tool invaluable for woodworkers of the past.

6. Why The Jaws Don’t Grip Tight Like Normal Pliers
Unlike standard pliers, a saw set’s jaws are not designed to grip objects tightly. Instead, they are crafted to exert just enough pressure to bend the saw teeth without damaging them. The jaws often include a small anvil that supports the tooth while it is being bent.
This lack of a tight grip is intentional, as the tool’s purpose is not to hold objects but to delicately adjust the angle of each tooth. The design ensures that the force applied is controlled and accurate, preventing any unnecessary stress on the saw blade.