C Bishop rip saw

G Bishop rip saw

Hi All,

I thought that I'd post some pics of my favourite rip saw.

She's an american Bishop 28" 6ppi, she isn't in the best of condition and is showing signs of her age with some pitting, but the important thing is that she cuts like a dream. The extra weight from the straight back makes it a really easy saw, low on energy for the longer cuts.

I've inverted the etching on one of the images for clarity. She's a later saw judging from the screws and the etching.

regards

lui

 

Hello Lui,

Don't get too excited about a reply from me as I am a "new boy" to this site, know little about saws but am a very enthusiastic amateur collector. Accolades from some of the others who use this site will mean much more as they know what they are talking about.

Having said that, both your saws look beautiful, blemished or not and its nice to see that these old saws are still being/will be used. It never ceases to amaze me how undervalued, even unvalued (if that is a word) old handsaws are today, especially rip saws. Last year, I bought a job lot of 19 handsaws for £30. A ludicrously low price even if some of them (about 6) were too kinked for use. (They were mainly Canadian Disstons, a "proper" Harvey Peace, an Atkinson and at least three that feature on this website). I bought two handsaws off Ebay last week for the princely sum of 99p and when I pluck up the courage I will put one of them on this site. You will see why it takes courage to publically display it, if I do so. The other is a half-decent saw, but again, having little commercial value as a working tool.

I was speaking earlier on in the year to a man who makes elm furniture, as I thought, (being a craftsman) he would be interested in saws. He showed no interest at all and said that he bought a new handsaw for each job, and gave the client the opportunity of having the saw along with the furniture. Terrible!!! (He was, though, very interested in quality chisels).

Anyway, thank-you for giving me the opportunity to get that off my chest and keep on posting the photo's.

Fred

 

Thanks Ray,

That's really nice information, I wasn't sure if it was a C or a G, there was a George H Bishop saw maker in america, but your pic makes it obvious.

There is a bit of pitting on the non etched side (is there a name to distinguish each side?) but this doesn't effect performance.

I've got an MACo catalogue from 1937 that has some saws etc in, it's probably a bit later than most of the stuff on here, but if your anything like me you'll appreciate the social history. I'll scan some pages in, and post them in a new thread.


cheers

lui

 

Hi Fred,

I'm pretty much clueless when it comes to old saws and history, but I do know what I like, and big old rip saws are my kind of thing.

Pretty much all the guys in our workshops use modern saws, saying that the time it takes to sharpen an old saw is out weighed by the cheap throw away c*@p. I did a test with one of the apprentices in the workshop this week to show him the difference. My 28" rip against his 22" modern. I knew it was a dead cert win on my part before I even started, but I surprised myself when I completed the cut in well under half the modern time, I didn't even break a sweat.

If you assume that resharpening time is equivelent to the cost of a modern, the cut time saving pays for itself on an old saw. On site they go through a new saw every 2 weeks.

I'm not going to change the old hands in the workshop, but I might have a chance with the younger ones.

End of my rant as I suspect I'm preaching to the converted.

cheers

lui

 

Hi Lui.

Agree with you entirely. I think my old favourites keep the edge longer than the modern ones too. Certainly the modern "Hard Points" loose their set before they are blunt. Try to reset them and the teeth snap off!!!
My favorite tools are my oldest - saws chisels screwdrivers and whatever!!

Graham