Ibbotsons & Roebuck 12" brass back with Medallion

Discussion in 'Forum: Saw Identification and Discussion' started by Kerry, Jan 26, 2021.

  1. Kerry

    Kerry Active Member

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    28
    I just received a beautiful Ibbotsons & Roebuck 12 backsaw. I can't seem to find much on them in the forum here, so I thought it could be of interest.

    From BBSM and some googling it looks like the partnership between William and George Ibbotson with Jonathan Roebuck lasted only a few years, c1821-1827, putting a pretty narrow window on the age of this saw.

    It appears the 1 inch medallion is perhaps a pretty early example of their use on backsaws, resembling more of a coin than a traditional medallion. My reading suggests that Ibbotsons & Roebuck started aggressively shipping to North America and have to wonder if early medallions were more often found on exported saws than those remaining in the UK... Nothing concrete back up that assertion, but I feel it's been mentioned somewhere before, maybe in BSSM?

    Looking at the handle it seems to me a previous owner has shaved off some of the cheek. I'm guessing as he sharpened more, the cheek was getting in the way of his cuts, so he trimmed both sides to continue to use the saw.

    Quite beautiful and has remained in wonderful condition.
     

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    Last edited: Jan 26, 2021
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  2. summerfi

    summerfi Most Valued Member

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    185
    Congratulations on a nice early saw acquisition, Kerry. The stamp on the spine appears identical to the one in BSSM dated 1820. The reclining ampersand and dot between Refined and Steel are noteworthy. I believe the flat bottom on the handle cheek is due to the user repeatedly slamming the handle into the wood being sawed. I've seen this on many other saws, though usually not to this degree. It's a sign of poor sawing technique. With your consent I'd like to add the image of the medallion to the Saw Medallion Reference Guide. It's slightly different than the one currently shown there.
     
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  3. Kerry

    Kerry Active Member

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    28
    Thanks very much Bob. Feel free to add the medallion in to the reference. I originally thought the cheek was flattened from ramming into wood while sawing, but when I have it in hand and look at both sides, the flatness is so uniform and clean that it looked like the handle was chiseled flat. Or maybe be someone smoothed it out later. By the way, I was just admiring some of the beautiful handles you've shown on your website. Incredible work.
     
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  4. tonyba

    tonyba Active Member

    Messages:
    37
    Lovely saw! I feel better about an 1820 date for my Ibbotsons & Roebuck table saw now.
    The classy medallion seemed very early on the medallion Time line and made me feel a little uneasy originally.
    Cheers
    Tony
     
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