Thread: Gent's saw

For a short gent?

Regards from Perth

Derek

The nib makes it look like it's meant to be that length (or thereabouts), but I suppose anyone even moderately handy with a file could work a nib onto a saw easily enough. It's possible it is a "gentleman's saw", but to me it looks just too short to be practical as a bench saw, no matter how how 'gentle' the man. The handle is also more elaborate than on a typical 'gents' saw', so I reckon it might've belonged to a craftsman & had a special purpose. Maybe it was made by the original owner from a 'table saw'?? Does anyone know of a catalogue depiction of a similar saw?

It amuses me to think, sometimes, that a couple of my 'special purpose' saws might turn up at a flea market long after I'm gone These two, for e.g., could cause some head-scratching: Handle saw.jpg Mini halfback.jpg



Cheers,

Ian,
I think you could be right with this one
.To me it looks user made.
I hope you feel proud of your self causing a lot of head scratching and argumenting over your two loverly little saws in a hundred plus years time on eBay ,flea markets, what have you.
By the way , are you going to file a nip onto the saws for extra confusion ?

Cheers Matt

I think that not only is it short, not only is the nib filed in at a later date (child's play to do), not only is the bead much too short, but it is not even a gent's saw. The saw enthusiasts amongst you may recall that a gent's saw is a small back saw with a back.

I think it's origins are more likely a Joiner's saw like this:

Simonds No.14 Joiner's saw.jpg


This saw is a Simonds, but Atkins and Disston had exactly the same thing and we have discussed the possible uses of the saw in the past without I may add a firm conclusion. However it seems from a Disston publication I have to be used pretty much in the same way as a back saw would be used.

The saw Paul has alerted us to looks to be about one fifth of one of these saws! In other words not worth a pinch of salt. I notice that they describe it as a "Buck" saw. I am not well versed in these types of saws or the Pome saws for that matter, but Buck and Ryan were a major London based wholesaler and I think it likely it was one of their products.

Regards
Paul

The thing about this saw that sticks out to me, personally, is how incredibly thin the handle becomes between the actual grip and the two mounting screws. I've never seen anything quite like it.

My guess would be that it's either user made, as Simplicity said, or possibly the result of a repair job where the end user was trying to salvage anything at all out of the parts which remained following a sever drop, etc.

Either way, I can't imagine it'd be good for much aside from a topic of discussion among a bunch of bored woodworkers on the internet...

Cheers,
Luke

Originally Posted by IanW

It amuses me to think, sometimes, that a couple of my 'special purpose' saws might turn up at a flea market long after I'm gone These two, for e.g., could cause some head-scratching:

I don't think there'll be any difficulty in identifying the cake-cutter and the lock-pick, Ian.

That handle is an elegant marvel.
Given that the description includes the "Buck ..." info, then presumably it's on the blade.

If it's in the middle of the present length, then presumably it is at original length.
Even if it was closer to the "nib", the original length wouldn't seem to be much longer.

It was clearly used to trim cigars to an acceptable length.

RayG has all the dope on the Tottenham Court Roadies: Buck Saw

Cheers,
Paul

Originally Posted by Simplicity

.....By the way , are you going to file a nip onto the saws for extra confusion ?....

What an excellent idea Matt - hadn't thought of it before, but now you've mentioned it!

(Insert evil chuckles as I head for the file drawer......)

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

I think that not only is it short, not only is the nib filed in at a later date (child's play to do), not only is the bead much too short, but it is not even a gent's saw. The saw enthusiasts amongst you may recall that a gent's saw is a small back saw with a back.

I think it's origins are more likely a Joiner's saw like this:

Simonds No.14 Joiner's saw.jpg


This saw is a Simonds, but Atkins and Disston had exactly the same thing and we have discussed the possible uses of the saw in the past without I may add a firm conclusion. However it seems from a Disston publication I have to be used pretty much in the same way as a back saw would be used.

The saw Paul has alerted us to looks to be about one fifth of one of these saws! In other words not worth a pinch of salt. I notice that they describe it as a "Buck" saw. I am not well versed in these types of saws or the Pome saws for that matter, but Buck and Ryan were a major London based wholesaler and I think it likely it was one of their products.

Regards
Paul

Paul,

Please share the info you have on the joiners saw. I ran across a Disston version on eBay recently that was mis-listed as a dovetail saw. I secured it for a semi-reasonable price and it's on the way to me now. I'll publish full details of its dimensions, characteristics and, to the extent I'm able, its best uses on a dedicated thread.

Regards,
Rob

Originally Posted by Luke Maddux

The thing about this saw that sticks out to me, personally, is how incredibly thin the handle becomes between the actual grip and the two mounting screws. I've never seen anything quite like it.

It looks like a closed handsaw handle that was repurposed. For what's there, it should be OK since the grain runs from front to back, but one drop and it could be curtains.

Of course, cutting down of a large closed handsaw pattern could be done at the factory. I may be out of the loop on this, as i have no clue how often something like this is a legitimate factory made good.

Rob

I'll dig out what I have and post it this evening (always assuming I can locate in what I loosely describe as a filing system).

Regards
Paul

That's just cool!

Originally Posted by D.W.

It looks like a closed handsaw handle that was repurposed......

I very much doubt it was cut down from a closed handle, DW, but who knows? If I look at the profile of the current handle, and try to imagine the bottom return sweeping up, but leaving finger-space, it just doesn't look to me like it would join up in a satisfying way with the cheeks. I think it fits better with the idea that it was a joiners' or table saw, or something of that ilk, which only seemed to come with open handles.....

Cheers,

Rob

These twp pix come from the 1918 Disston catalogue:

Disston Joiner 1918 catalogue.pngCopy of Disston Joiner 1918 catalogue.png

I hope that is readable.

There is a short discussion on backsawnet:

Disston Joiner's | backsaw.net

One aspect that comes from that discussion is that this saw is quite thick, a little like the compass saw, and is probably not the best cutting device known to man.

This exert is from a 1924 publication "The saw in History," but I have seen it reproduced in different Disston publications. The reference to fine cutting seems to fly in the face of the saw plate thickness. It will be interesting to see if your saw is around the 18gauge mark.


The Saw in History.pdf 1924.jpg

Regards
Paul