Hey Ray et al. I have found very little on anything if at all on this maker. This saw doesn't help me with a location for a couple of reasons. To begin with, HSMB only has them only as an "1850" saw with no location. There is nothing in the American locations. This 12" in steel back has the "I B Hasenclever and Sons" stamp over a Cast Steel stamp. What changes the normal is the handle. First off, it is made of cherry and that is not a typical British handle wood. I keep looking at it and wondering if it is a naive replacement of something that was already there. The grip and horns are typical but the cheek is odd. Adjectives such as straight, clumsy and unfinished sort of describe it. The two fasteners look like brass "washers" piened in the centre by a steel rod. They couldn't be tightened without a slot and there is some slop in the handle. Other examples I have seen are a typical traditional shape but I don't know the material use. Anyone with any info? thanks Joe S.
Hi Joe, All I can offer is that I B Hasenclever & Sons appear in the catalog of the Great Exhibition of the Works of All Nations in London, 1851, as making hardware, tools and cutlery. Listed as being from Remscheid, so an uncommon German importer of saws into North America. But I've nothing helpful to say about the handle. Regards, David
Congratulations on a nice bit of detective work David.. For German hand tools I've found Wolfgang Jordans http://www.holzwerken.de/ site is always informative. But in the case of Hasenclever, I can find that they were listed in "Wer liefert was?" (Who makes what?) up until 1960 at least as a hand drill maker. Remscheid seems to be a little bit like the "Sheffield" of Germany many tool makers.. Perhaps Pedder can show a little more light on this one. As far as the handle goes, everything points to being a user made handle, seems too be a "fair enough" functional repair, probably made with limited time, and tools. Shows that the tool was needed and appreciated... I'm of the opinion that sometimes these sort of repairs add a level of interest and uniqueness that you don't get with a pristine factory perfect saw.. (I like those too of course.. ) Regards Ray PS I did find a picture of another one...
I B Hasenclever As it happens, I was in Remscheid last week - it was (note: was) indeed the German capital of saw making, and with nearby Wuppertal (heavy steel) and Solingen (cutlery) the three cities, the main population centres of the Bergische Land, added up to more or less what Sheffield united in one city. Very similar topography - steep valleys, fast streams for water power, and once upon a time many scores of small manufacturers. There is a good tool museum in Remscheid (and another one in Solingen, but I didn't see that), and I was kindly taken round one of the last remaining saw manufacturing plants, where they were making circulars mainly for the Sri Lankan timber industry (illustrated their largest, with the smither holding it - the tensioning marks can be seen on the blade), and smaller circular knives for the paper trade.