Another Saturday, another couple of saws. This medallion comes from one of them. I looked at the Disston Institute site but cannot quite match it. Clearly post 1871, but I suspect is it older than I thought. I bought the saw, which is missing part of the handle (one of the horns) for the nuts. Sorry for the poor scan: https://picasaweb.google.com/timrobinson22/Saws?authkey=Gv1sRgCMy2rJ-4l9HslgE#5772781091944460978 Thanks in advance for any thoughts. Tim
Looks like it's from 1878-88, like this one, (from here) (yours) notice that it says, Yours has the large A with an apostrophe, two stars, and no comma after 'SON'. Toby
Thanks Toby. Now I feel that I cannot cannibalise it and should fix it up, which puts me back in the situtaion of need a nit for the Disston Backsaw. As amatter of interest, what do saw go for in flea markaets in other parts of the word? I paid $4 for this one (and onter $4 for a Warranted Superior - but with the Disston keystone mark, but no name) for a small panel saw. It has a nib, os I guessed it has some age. Generally I pay, in Sydney, up to $8 for panel, rip or cross cut saws and $15 for backsaws. What do other pay? Tim
Around here you can still find some for 3 or 4 dollars each, and it doesn't matter if it's a hand, panel or back saw. But thanks to fleabay many sellers are asking more. Most of them are post 1900 though, and American made. Not many nice old English saws to be found in flea markets on this side unfortunately. Toby
Hi Tim, At the car boot sale that I go to, if you get a genuine car booter and not a trader, you can pick up an early (pre WW1 ) handsaw for GBP 1 and possibly the same for a backsaw if you are lucky. It is one of the few areas of collecting left where the majority of people have no idea of the value of such things, especially if they are rusty. But then again, traders at the same sale may ask GBP 5 or 10 for a complete load of rubbish and get upset when you walk away. I picked this Groves up for GBP 1 at said car boot sale. It is not a user, but a nice saw nevetheless. At a steam fair a couple of years ago I picked up a nice thumbhole D8 for GBP 4 (quite expensive I thought at the time), but that is a user. The only time that I pay good money for saws (sometimes) is when I buy on Ebay. Fred
The Groves is very nice, I doubt I'd find one of them around Sydney - but you never know You are right that very few people know much about saws. I see not very old rubbish sold for $10 or more (which admittedly is not that much) becuase they think they are "decorative," a notion I have the same reaction to as when I see violins sold as decoration. You mentioned dealers getting unhappy when you don't buy their junk at inflated prices. You should try telling a dealer that the violin they want a few thousand dollars for is not actually made by Stradivari in 1723 but is early 20th century German factory made. I don't bother saying anything any more - I just nod and mumble something while moving away. I know someone who collects, and has a very good collection of, convict era tools. Many have been borrowed by museums in Sydney. I'm not sure which came first, tools or history (I'll ask) but years ago he wrote a history of convict timbergetting from 1788 to the mid 1850s. I often run into him at markets etc where he has found something else from the early colony. Once you know what to look for... I was talking to a guy who sells tools at a market I go to regularly - I have bought stuff from him for a few years - but he admitted he know nothing about saws, he pretty much saw them as al the same. Another bloke joined the conversation, he used to teach cabinet making at TAFE (Techncial and Further Education - the government vocation education department). He said now they now no longer teach how to sharpen in the course, all the saws they use are hardened. I understand carpenters now, if they use a hand saw at all, throw them away when they are blunt and buy a new one as this more cost effective. The world has gone mad. Regards, Tim