Carrick + Craig backsaw

This is my latest acquisition which I bought because it is a Scottish made saw as opposed to the Sheffield made ones that I normally come across. (See my gallery). For the first time, I have actually paid good money for this one.

Having said that, I have \"googled\" it and can come find very little information on Carrick and Craig (the only reference that I can find is about a very nice dovetailed infill plane), and absolutely no information at all on their saws.

The saw is 137/8\" (thirteen and seven eigths) inches along the cutting edge of the blade, 33/8\" deep at the front from the cutting edge to the inside of the brass back and 31/2\" at the rear. It has 10PPI.

There is very little more to say really except to ask for info. on the firm and especially their saws, or a source that I can look at myself.

Fred

 

Hey Fred.
Looks like a nice hefty saw with a little weight to it. Probably a nice saw when you get it all sharpened up.
My \"go to\" references include W.L Goodman\"s \"British Plane Makers from 1700\" who says Carrick and Craig were on Argyle St. from 1893-1922. There were Carrick Bros on the same Argyle street a little later from 1925- 1934 who were plane makers. Schaffer and McConnell\'S \"Handsaw Makers of Britain\" also include them at this time as saw makers.
Ray always seems to come up with some good stuff too but I hope this gets you started.
regards
Joe

 

Hi Fred

Old thread but I thought you might be interested in seeing these two Carrick & Craig backsaws I found yesterday. Not as old as yours. Steel domed saw nuts with a brass Warranted Superior medallion (not inset).









The stamp is the same as yours maybe with a slightly less ornate font.



I would guess these date sometime post WW1 towards the end of production?

To me the handle on the larger saw seems to be coarser grained, perhaps even a different timber. It looks original in other regards, so could be an indication of standards slipping towards the end. Could be a well executed replacement, or could just be how it was sold.

Cheers

Tim

 

Could be as late as the 1930s or even post WW2. I have never found it at all easy to distinguish the decades pre and post WW2 saws (and, to my comfort, found that Ken Hawley had a similar problem). Considering that this firm went on till 1959, not impossible these are post war. Handle shape, medallion style, font of letters on brass back are what I'm going by. What do the screws look like on the back? That's sometimes a bit of a clue. Both saws are quite heavy in the hand, I'd guess.
Please help! Simon

 

Phew... I thought it was just me. I find that after the 20's and 30's everything looked "newish". Maybe just my lack of aesthetic discernment. Disston put out those last 20s and 30s catalogues and everything has been pared down to bare bone design. It looked like everyone followed suit and after that time there didn't seem to be innovative looks. It was probably based on the manufacturing process that streamlined so that cutters and routers could cut the shapes with the least amount of change. There may have been changes in quality of steel but I can't tell by looking at the saw. I think Simon you are dead on when you ask if they are heavy because they sure look heavy. The brass is straight rolled over with no chamfer at the base that softens the look. Probably very hefty and cut nice when tuned properly. I think they might be pre-war just because of the decision to create a lambs tongue although it is rather crude and bulky. The handles are a finished beech which to me gives it some age. In Canada and the US some the wood handles were being painted red and I have a saw marked "War Time Finish" painted red and this look continued on for some time. Plywood gives it away as to timeline but after that who knows.
Like the saws though.
Joe S.

 

Simon, Joe

Thanks for your feedback. I'm relatively new in the hobby (obsession, addiction?) so learning all the time. I did order Simon's book this week (thank you) and am looking forward to studying up when it arrives.

Here is the back side of the handles/screws:

Indeed they are quite heavy, particularly the larger 14" saw. I have two similar sized saws at hand; a brass backed Disston and a steel backed Tyzack Sons & Turner.



The kitchen scales give the following results:

Disston: 723g
Carrick & Craig: 846g
Tyzack, Sons & Turner: 875g

For me, the Disston is about the weight I expect when I pick it up. The extra weight on the other two is very noticeable.

Cheers

Tim

 

Thanks for the useful extra pictures. The screws have proper nuts on them (I'm pretty sure), which rules out the later ones which were sometimes apparently screws on the front, and only a form of rivet on the back.
Agree – these would be v nice users if suitably tuned. The great (late, alas) chairmaker John Brown, wouldn't use backsaws like this, saying they were too heavy; he used an inline handled gent's for better control.