The year 1924 was a true transition year for the world of saw blades. It was on January 20, 1924 that a French immigrant named Edmond Michel was awarded a patent for his revolutionary new electric handsaw, the first electric powered hand-held circular saw machine. Michel, and his partner Joseph Sullivan, had formed a company (renamed Skilsaw Inc. in 1926) to take this new tool to market and it quickly gained acceptance.
Shortly thereafter, an inventor named Fred Wappat earned patents used in the production of some of the first electric saws and drills. His company, The Wappat Gear Works, was a pioneer manufacturer of electric circular saws.
In 1928, in an effort to diversify into this new technology, Simonds purchased an 80% interest in Wappat's company. The business, located on Meade Street in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was renamed Wappat Inc. and became a division of Simonds Saw & Steel. Wappat/Simonds electric circular saws were sold under the Red Streak brand name and were supplied with Simonds SiClone circular saw blades.
Wappat electric circular saws sold well in the early years of the new venture, but soon sales were hurt by the Great Depression. But Simonds continued to believe in Wappat and the technology it was developing and continued to fund the business. However, by 1941, with the world embroiled in a new global conflict, the company was tasked to refocus its efforts on the production of its core products, and Simonds sold its interest in the business back to Fred Wappat.
The business was moved to Mayville, New York by February of 1943. Around 1952, Wappat sold the company to The John Oster Mfg. Co. of Milwaukee (who made the Osterizer blender famous). By the late 1960's the business was sold again to Cummins Portable Tools and is renamed the Fred W. Wappat Division. By the late 1970's, the division was disbanded.
That was our brush with greatness in the portable power tool market - for a few years, Simonds and Wappat were one of the true leaders in developing a totally new market sector!