This saw has a 26" straight back blade, with a nib, and the handle is fixed with 4 split nut screws. What makes the saw interesting is that the heads of all the screws are miniature medallions, just over 1/2" dia, with the "eagle" "warranted superior" motif. With some careful cleaning of the blade, some shadow of the etch was found, looking like "S-----LD STEEL" with a line underneath and a few letters/numbers below that. Initially I thought it might be "sheffield steel" despite the eagle medallions suggesting an American origin. Using my magnifier, more cleaning, tilting the blade to get just the right lighting, more cleaning, closing one eye and standing on one foot, going cross-eyed, etc, I am now convinced that the wording is "SELECTED STEEL" over a model number, maybe "350" [? what were they thinking ? "selected", as apposed to "randomly found" ?] I think the major part of the etch with the maker/retailer data was above the "selected steel" part, but is 95% worn away, as there are a few blotches remaining that I can imagine as part of an etch. Does anyone know, or have any guesses, as to who made/sold this style of saw ?
Hi Kiwi, I have a Henry Disston saw with four medallions, one reads Henry Disston and the other three read Warranted Superior. It's die stamped Henry Disston. But unfortunately, the three WS medallions have gaps around them and some sort of filler, so I have some doubts that they're original. I also have a Disston Clipper saw, with three small and one large WS medallions. But I fear that none of these examples will match the saw you search for. I do note that your WS medallions appear to be of the "Aztec" variety that Henry Disston introduced at around the same time he began etching his saws. It's possible that this was a saw factored by Disston for someone else, since he offered to mark saws as you wished, at a certain point. That's all I can offer to help. David
kiwi, are those nuts plated, as the colour is silvery for brass? Are they Glover style? Just trying to establish timing. looks US made, and its not a Disston-style WS medallion so I'd be looking elsewhere.
David, Thanks for the comments and pictures. I agree that this could well be a factored saw, as it would have had a Disston mark/medallion if it was one off their regular offerings. The other possibility that occurred to me is that it might be from a startup saw maker who didn't have his own medallion yet, although that enticing idea seems less likely. I also have an 18" panel saw with split nuts and one small WS eagle medallion of similar size to the 4 medallions (just over half an inch diam), but on closer inspection that eagle is different, and there is tiny lettering with Washbourne's 1867 patent date. (No blade ID on that saw either). It would be nice to know the answers, but having some mystery saws is good too. DSD, the fasteners are brass, (looking a bit shiny in the picture because I'd just cleaned them up with a small brass bristle brush in a drill). These are the old split nut style, (not cap screws a la Glover ). Yes, I agree it looks like a US made saw