Trademarks began with registration number 1 in October of 1870. This is the sixth earliest Disston trademark that I am aware of. (I’m from the Midwest, where we are required to dangle prepositions.) The registration certificate is a little hard to read, but not illegible as some are, and it clearly says that “This trade-mark we have used in our business since June, 1882.” and it goes on to say that “The mark has generally been etched directly upon the blade of the saw”. Since the trademark was registered, these saws, though I’ve never seen or heard of them, must have existed! How cool is that?
According to Google translate, the Russian writing ЦАРCКАЯ ПИЛА means Tsar’s Saw. Disston discounted the Russian writing, but somehow that makes me want one of these saws even more! From the registration certificate:
Our trade-mark consists of the title “Great American,” and is fully shown in the accompanying facsimile of the mark. With the title we have generally combined the representation of a keystone and the Russian title shown; but these additions are immaterial, the essential feature of the mark being the title “Great American”.