I have a GROVES & SONS, SHEFFIELD, CAST STEEL, Spring Temper Warranted Open handled, brass backed 10" Dovetail saw that does not have the usual 'USE' mark. Note that the name is not marked R.GROVES & SONS. I seached the forums here but cannot find a reference as to when this 'USE' mark may have been adopted. Anybody?
Hi, If you look on (currently although it may change at some future date) page 4 of this site and look at Joe's "Groves and Sons" and then item no. 4 in this topic by Ray, he thinks that it is around the 1850 -ish mark that the USE medallion started to be used. Me, I haven't the faintest idea, but I am assuming that Ray is somewhere near right. If you then go to my topic "Another Old Groves"? on the same page, Ray has added Joe's image to mine. Both have "Groves and Sons" only and then Joe's has London and mine London Spring. I also seem to remember Simon commenting on the greater the verbiage on saws, generally speaking the later (within reason) the saw is likely to be. So, all other things being equal, your saw will be after 1822 -ish (the adoption of "and Sons") and 1850 -ish the adoption of the USE medallion. If Simon is right re the amount of words used on the saw then possibly towards the upper end of the date. This would also possibly be supported by the usage of Sheffield as a place of manufacture as, towards the middle of the 1800's it developed a reputation of its own for quality. Note that I have quoted others as I have no idea myself on this. A picture would be good to see handle style etc. I don't know whether or not Groves adopted the medallion across their entire saw range at the same time. If they didn't this would have implications for date as well. Fred
Groves and 'USE' Agree - my own sequence of Groves saws has the USE starting to appear around 1840-1850. It is certainly not present on a Groves of c1820. (Catching up with lots of threads) Simon