E C Atkins

Discussion in 'Forum: Saw Identification and Discussion' started by purfler, Jun 25, 2012.

  1. purfler

    purfler Most Valued Member

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    Just a quick question. When did E C Atkins stop manufacturing saws - if it has. I bought a rip saw, with thumb hole, on the weekend. My guess was it was 1960/70s - but now I wonder. I cannot find end dates on the web so far.

    Photos will come.

    Regards,

    Tim
     
  2. TobyC

    TobyC Most Valued Member

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    Read this.

    1952?

    Toby
     
  3. purfler

    purfler Most Valued Member

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    Thanks Toby. I'll get photos up when I can.

    Tim
     
  4. Joe S

    Joe S Most Valued Member

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    Hey Tim
    The only reference to an EC Atkins closing here in Canada is a note from the Tool Group of Canada,http://www.thetoolgroupofcanada.com/images/Canadian_Tool_Manufacturers_1820-1914.pdf when they talk about the purchase of Shurly Dietrich in 1930 and the closing in 1973. I don't know if that coinsided with an overall company closure or change in focus.
    Originally printed in the Gristmill and then in HSMof NA
    "E.C. Atkins and Company was located in Indianapolis from 1857-1952. Borg Warner bought it in 1952 but kept the plant in Indianapolis until 1961. Borg Warner then moved operations to Greensville, MS in 1961. The Mississippi plant was sold to Nicholson File in 1966 and in 1970 to Cooper Industries, which it still owns." This was printed in 1996.
    Hope that helps.
    Joe S.
     
    Last edited: Jun 26, 2012
  5. TraditionalToolworks

    TraditionalToolworks Most Valued Member

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    purfler,

    Take what I say with a grain of salt, since I know down under it's harder to find saws, so a newer Atkins could be worth using like it is.

    IMO, most of the saws that were produced in these recent years are horrid, however, the saw plate is still good. Most of the reason they are horrid is because of the handles that were made, where the makers wouldn't spend an extra 5 cents to get a decent handle.

    This would be a perfect candidate to craft your own handle and have a great saw that you would be proud to keep for many years to come. That is unless you like the handle that is on it, but you could use some exotic wood and make something special, IMO.

    I would like to see how the handle looks though, before finalizing that comment...
     
  6. purfler

    purfler Most Valued Member

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    Thanks all for the comments. Very helpful. I assume the saw is pre-'52, as it says Indianapolis on the medallion. I had actually seen this saw for few weeks at a market in Sydney - first when I bought a nice Tyzack 120. I didn't buy it initially as I have several rip saws and it was not old enough to interest me particularly. I bought it to give to either my soon to be son-in-law (although I don't think this is what he will need, I have a Spearior 9pt that I think will be more useful for him) or my new next door neighbour who has very few hand tools. As a user it will be perfectly serviceable once the blade is cleaned a bit and sharpened. The handle is OK, no major damage, but not of great merit. One of the five nuts is missing, but I don't think it will get great use who ever I give it to.

    Regards and thanks again,

    Tim

    PS - Alan, the idea of making a handle from an exotic wood (what do you mean by exotic?) is appealing - and I will for another saw. At teh moment I have a violin that desperately needs the neck to be finished and attached to the body so I can the varnish it and finish that particular project. I actaully want to make a violin using what would be exotic timbers to non-Oz makers - at leat for the back neck and sides. The use of non-tradtional timbers for violins is controversial - generally because from what I have seen and heard they don't sound very good. I'd still keep to a European spruce top, however. I can explain this at lenght - but this is a saw forum!
     
    Last edited: Jun 26, 2012
  7. TraditionalToolworks

    TraditionalToolworks Most Valued Member

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    Maybe "premium" would be a better word to use than exotic, but typically exotic is used to describe hardwoods. Some of the ones I like are Olive, Ebony, Rosewoods (of various species), etc...but even curly maple is a great handle wood and what LN uses. I am always sucker to buying a great looking piece of wood if I happen to see one in a store...

    I was involved in music in a past life and a friend of mine works on violins also...a very close friend of mine was a great guitar maker, but he died a few years ago, and ironically the last saw I made was in dedication of him for another friend of mine that is a cabinet maker.

    This one is made out of curly olive with bronze back and bronze split-nuts.

    [​IMG]
     

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  8. ray

    ray Administrator Staff Member

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    Hi Tim, Alan

    I have a friend who is a long time guitar maker (Ian Noyce http://www.noyceguitars.com)
    I recall he has tried various Australian Hardwoods at various times, but it's difficult to get the acoustic properties needed.. spruce seems to be hard to beat.

    Back to Atkins, I recall reading that they were involved in manufacture of steel armor plating during WW2. Seems like a natural for a company whose products are high tensile steels.. Silver Steel Tanks perhaps.. :)

    Wiktor has some good background on EC Atkins. http://www.wkfinetools.com/hUS-saws/Atkins/Atkins-index.asp

    I notice one 1950's letter head there that has "Shurly Dietrich Atkins Co Ltd" Galt Ontario.

    Regards
    Ray

    EDIT.. Here's Noycey's wood acoustic data.. http://www.noyceguitars.com/Technotes/Articles/T2.html
     
    Last edited: Jun 27, 2012
  9. TraditionalToolworks

    TraditionalToolworks Most Valued Member

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    Ray,

    My good friend I had gone to high school with made this guitar, the guy he made it for sells exotic woods in Grass Valley area of NorCal.

    I mention it because it doesn't have a spruce top, but sure looks outrageous.;)

    Woodnut sent me a beautiful piece of walnut to make saw handles out of, when I met him at Lance's wake. Lance is in the last pic, and the one above it. Lance will always be one of my bros...:)

    http://www.woodnut.com/MKguitar.htm
     
    Last edited: Jun 27, 2012
  10. purfler

    purfler Most Valued Member

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    Alan, Ray,

    All really nice stuff. That is one wild guitar. I have a violin made in 1926 by Anders Neilsen, a cabinet maker in Sydney who made violins as a hobby. The back and neck is the best piece of Tasmanian Blackwood I have ever seen. The top is either Celery Top or King Billy Pine and the neck is myrtle (see: http://stringsandtassiewood.com/tasmanian-timbers.htm). It is in the 2009 book by Alan Coggins on Australian violin makers (http://www.abcviolins.com/book). Sad thing is it sounds, well, not very good. I met a guy through Alan who has its sister, same year, same log used for the back but with a European top and it sounds proper. There are makers who use Oz timbers exclusively, but I really think the violin was perfected with particular species and nothing else will ever sound as good.

    The idea of flamed maple for handles is nice, but I think it looks better on a violin:) this is the back of my number 2: https://picasaweb.google.com/timrobinson22/ViolinsForWeb#5349377682674364386

    This is getting a bit away from saws!

    Tim
     
  11. TraditionalToolworks

    TraditionalToolworks Most Valued Member

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    Maybe not, but I am not sure we have figured this equation out completely yet. If it was so easy, everyone would be able to reproduce Stradivarius' examples. I actually play upright bass, and as such have always been interested in wood qualities and such, but not one single person has been able to decipher what Stradivarius did. As you must know, there are many theories, from insecticides used in those days, to the logs being stored in the water in Venice when they came down from the forest, or the way Stradivarius cured the wood and/or prepared it before using it. The bottom line is that nobody has been able to replicated the work, so it still leaves us with a mystery.

    That's fair, but I was only trying to point out that there are many types of beautiful hardwoods that are well suited for handles. Without doubt most people admire great looking tools and/or handles, and replacing the Atkins handle with one you craft yourself will make the saw mean that much more to you.
     
  12. purfler

    purfler Most Valued Member

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  13. purfler

    purfler Most Valued Member

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