Thread: Odd Sorby Saw Handle

The Missing Link? post 1870's tho?

I suspect a past owner has done some modification. Cant say for what reason as that does not look like any improvement.
Regards
John

RayG is your man for these ... and his backsaw.net website ... but I have a similar Sorby ...

These three all from the UK ...

sorbys 006.jpg sorbys 007.jpg

Drabble & Sanderson .. I Sorby ... Moses Eadon

sorbys 012.jpg sorbys 010.jpg sorbys 008.jpg

Hi Firemedic,

I don't really know what to make of this one, at first glance it looked a bit like someone has fitted a pruning saw handle to a backsaw.

It's not a saw handle pattern that I've seen before on backsaws, but that doesn't necessarily mean that much

If forced to guess, I'd say it's a user modified handle, but the handle would have had to be removed to get the cheek profile like that?

With you permission, I'd like to post a picture or two on another forum ( backsaw.net ) to see if anyone else has some ideas..

Regards
Ray

PS, Thanks for that Paul, Interesting similarity between your I Sorby and FireMedics?

I thought the hang angles looked about the same, but the highest point of the underside of the grip is much lower.

I did think it might have been made from some beech ... but that lower (half) tail looks like a full tail cut in half ...

Originally Posted by Brobdingnagian

The Missing Link? post 1870's tho?

Haha, yeah... It does sort of look like a bad Moxon style sketch of a saw, don't it

Originally Posted by orraloon

I suspect a past owner has done some modification. Cant say for what reason as that does not look like any improvement.
Regards
John

I have no clue either, that's why I'm asking you guys!

Originally Posted by pmcgee

RayG is your man for these ... and his backsaw.net website ... but I have a similar Sorby ...

These three all from the UK ...

<img src="https://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=249750"/> <img src="https://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=249751"/>

Drabble & Sanderson .. I Sorby ... Moses Eadon

<img src="https://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=249752"/> <img src="https://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=249754"/> <img src="https://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=249753"/>

Interesting, I could see it more being a user made version of THAT. I couldn't see it being some random "that looks about right" job unless it was tailor for a younger lad such ad an apprentice.

Originally Posted by RayG

Hi Firemedic,

I don't really know what to make of this one, at first glance it looked a bit like someone has fitted a pruning saw handle to a backsaw.

It's not a saw handle pattern that I've seen before on backsaws, but that doesn't necessarily mean that much

If forced to guess, I'd say it's a user modified handle, but the handle would have had to be removed to get the cheek profile like that?

With you permission, I'd like to post a picture or two on another forum ( backsaw.net ) to see if anyone else has some ideas..

Regards
Ray

PS, Thanks for that Paul, Interesting similarity between your I Sorby and FireMedics?

Ray, yes, by all means feel free to post those pictures. If you need more detailed pictures let me know - I'd be happy to oblige. I'm in the US though so there may be some delay

Heck, I'll ship it to ya if ya like!

...better come back sharp and set though

Thanks guys!

Oh, while I'm thinking of this, are there any backsaw type studies out there other than the disstonian institute? As in for different makers.

I'm newish to caring about this. My experience with back saws have always been turn of the century disstons. That's just what's common around here.... And they refurb and cut just fine

Thanks again!

Ray and ohers did a bit of a job on Spear & Jackson backsaws ...

Comparative Dating by Style - Saw Discussion Forums

The old pathologist in me sees a progression in these pics, from the slightly damaged handle in Paul's pic, via the handles that have been 'tidied up' after some nasty accident, through to the severely disfigured example of Firemedic's. I have a seen a few old handles that have had a bit of surgery following injuries - some minor, others more serious. My first thought is that your handle once existed inside a more recognisable body, Firemedic, but has had a few amputations and a bit of liposuction here & there.....

The flaw in that sugestion is the angle of the grip, which seems to be incompatible with the sort of handle I'd expect to have graced it when it left the factory It could be a (highly) modified handle from another saw. If you removed the handle and found an extra hole or two in the saw plate, that would be strong support for that theory. It's also possible someone made a new handle from scratch, and this is their idea of what a handle should be like. As someone who regularly replaces handles I don't like, myself, I rather favour that idea.

However, I could be completely off the mark - it does vaguely resemble handles you see in very old pics of some hand saws. Maybe Sorby did a 'mediaeval' model?

Edit: after looking more closely at the two pics side by side as Ray has posted them, I can see that you could get the mystery handle, by subtraction, fom the original on the very old saw. So my new best bet is that it's an original that has had a bit of surgery.

Cheers,

i'd bet london to a brick that its a modified handle, no way the maker (i sorby) would have made that, not even for a custom job, its not so much the angle, because thats possible but the way the cheeks are and the amateurish fit/styling up the near the brass, (also notice there is something weird with the saw plate under the cheeks) no doubt the owner wanted more angle, like a more delicate DT saw or pattern-makers saw, to give him more control so he fashioned this handle to suit his purpose, i wouldn't be surprised if the owner marks (MB) were on the original handle it was shaped from



cheers
chippy