I'm half expecting someone to tell me how obvious this is ... I believe this was an all-split-nut saw that has been modified. I don't know if the blank 'medallion' is original ... but doesn't look out of place. I won't bother you here with my attempts to capture the stamp ... which to me seems to be in a largish size/font ... surely more likely 1900ish rather than early. Pics are here ... https://plus.google.com/photos/103554365489606721190/albums/5976854212158729905?banner=pwa Ok ... one ... I am clueless on the text over the top ... unless the word "STEEL" is in there ... in which case I'm still boggled to understand the other letters.
Hi Paul, That would be Joseph (or Joshua?) and Robert Dodge... circa 1870 ish advert below is from 1879. Love that blank medallion! Ray
An additional bit of trivia... Their latin motto "juste judicato" Judge Right. If you google "juste judicato" you will find lots of J&R Dodge references.. the razor and knife people especially.. Ray
Thanks Ray!! "juste judicato" ! ... I don't feel too bad about not picking up on LATIN on my sawblade. http://www.holzwerken.de/museum/haendler/dodge.phtml
I tried transferring some split-nuts ... but they were not long enough. So I thought I'd take a punt on flattening the Glover screws. Works out ok, I think.
Hey Paul Great job in getting those flattened. Everything looks uniform. A little wax to fill in the vacancies and time to age the brightness it will look like it probably should have. I can't wait to see what you intend to do with the other side. I have this thing for blank medallions and to save a saw with one makes any efforts worth while. Cheers Joe S.
J&r doll??? My own entry is as follows for the Dodge bros: Joshua and Robert Dodge Ltd Continental Works, 65-67 Bridge Street 1876-1884 In the 1879 directory they are listed as merchants and manufacturers of steel, files, saws, tools, cutlery and strickles etc - in actual fact cutlery was their main line, and perhaps the only one they made themselves. They were bought out in 1884 by the sons of Francis Newton, a major cutlery firm. I don't think any of them made the saws with their marks, and that lovely big blind medallion that's been so skilfully replaced is very like saws by Wheatman and Smith of that period. But it could just have been a current style, so might have been by almost anyone. I'm guessing that if you can find them, there will almost certainly be three crowns, disposed at the top (as shown) and one to each side of the name marks. Typical of 1870-1890 Sheffield saws. As I don't have a mark of any saws by this firm for my book, could Paul maybe send me a complete pic of the maker's mark with lots of pixels? And the width overall? I'd v much like to be able to include it - there's still just time, I hope. Thanks a lot in anticipation Simon (barleys@mac.com)
I have sent an email, Simon ... thank you and Fred and Ray for your help. If anyone is very very bored, my further photographic attempts are here: https://plus.google.com/photos/103554365489606721190/albums/5979248111159553265 There does seem to be a part crown left ... but only with the camera (phone) could I make it out. Cheers, Paul