Hello all, This, again, is no great shakes as a saw but I have not come across A Anderson before and he is not in HSMOB. Because of the style of the saw and the mark (name and place only and bright struck) and because he is not in HSMOB, this leads me to think that he may be a brand, or possibly a retailer. I have done a search of the 1849, 1879 and 1901 directories and can find no trace in any and which is a further indication that said Anderson does not exist. (I am going for him being a brand in the last quarter of the 19th./early 20th century.) If anyone can disabuse me of this notion, please do so. What attracted me to the saw in the first place was its not overly large but blank medallion. The rest of the handle is not exceptional (read very mediocre) but I do like the saw screw arrangement. The blade is 24 inches long. Fred
I like those blank medallions too Fred. Don't know the sawmaker. Possibly the name is in reference to Alexander Anderson who was a steel works engineer (Sheffield Indexer, ref Whites 1905). A quick google of [ "anderson, alexander" sheffield steel ] gives a few hits that show his history as b1843 Ross, Tain (your area Fred ?), 1911 was retired steel works general manager, d 1922 Dore (a few km south of Sheffield) and noted as having worked for many years for Thomas Firth & Sons.(you could order a copy of his obituary) Not a sawmaker, but you might imagine he would have been known to the local sawmakers. Enough tenuous links to make up a WWAG ? Of course there was also a Thomas Anderson, steel melter, (Sheffield Indexer, ref Whites 1871) who you might imagine as the son/father/uncle of the unknown "A Anderson" Or.......
A Anderson I'm sure Fred is spot on that this one shouts "brand", not maker, and once you start on that one you've no chance unless you happen upon the name either in the Cutlers' Company trade marks list, or in a catalogue (I happened upon the brand name of plane-iron maker Aaron Hildick - H.Thompson...while leafing through a catalogue). Another clue is its second quality nature - three screws, London pattern handle. The enlarged blind medallion was a feature of some Sheffield makers around 1870-1890.