Help Identifying an Old Hand Saw

[macg]

Hi Macg,

Beautiful restoration looks like new.. ( and welcome to the forum! )

The handle shape is starting to look more like a Richardson Brothers...

It was fashionable in the late 19th early 20th century to have trademarks with puns and double meanings, I suspect this mark has a double meaning, but maybe lost in the mists of time.... still searching for "you bet the bottoms out"

One for Paul's lateral thinking abilities perhaps..

Ray

I think I've made a mistake with my description of the man in the tub.
Taking a closer look, what I thought of him holding, was a saw now looks more like a longer stave with a handle.

If that is correct, then we have a smartly dressed impish fellow lifting a tub while standing in it, causing the bottom to fall out.
The meaning of which is???
something to do with reaching the bottom of the barrel??
the market crash in 1929??
some droll comical comment referring to some big issue at the time of when the saw was made,
maybe with the manufacturer, the merchant, the government or something completely different.

It's funny how something created so long ago, can still create interest today.

Graham.

[J8B]

Hello Justin,

I may be able to help with your saw identification, as I have a saw the same as yours, that I picked up locally some time ago. It was in poor condition, but cleaned up ok.
It is a 26" straight back 8ppi cross cut hand saw, with a beech handle and decorative nib. The etch shows a rather smart impish looking fellow wearing a striped suit & pointed hat, standing in a coppered tub while using a hand saw to cut out the bottom. With a caption saying "you bet the bottoms out USA" as to why he is doing that,
I'm not sure.
Here in South Australia, apart from English saws, I've come across many examples from the big US makers e.g. Disston, Symonds, Akins. It could be an example of one of their secondary lines. Disston were set up in Sydney early last century, I think they imported saws components and assembled saws to avoid import taxes.
With the eagle in the medallion and the wording in the caption, my guess is that it is from a U.S. manufacturer between 1910 and 1930

Thats great. Thanks for clarifying the etch diagram. Good to see exactly what it is. It had me baffled

Great looking saw too.

[J8B]

Although the mark is a bit hard to read, the "Advance" paschal lamb logo is the well known Taylor Brothers trademark, and I think the stamp is J Taylor & Son, Taylor Brothers were one of Sheffield's most prolific saw makers they operated from 1837 to 1971, and had dozens of names they traded under. That medallion is a ringer and doesn't belong to the blade, but going on the style I'd guess the handle probably does belong. Should be a nice saw with a bit of restoration.

I'd hazard a wild guess at a date of 1880 based on the style of the stamp. ( Referring here to BSSM page 577 )

Ray

Thanks Ray. A bit older than i thought. I can definately make out the last part as 'AYLOR&SON'.