Moilliet and Gem

Discussion in 'Forum: Saw Identification and Discussion' started by fred0325, May 7, 2017.

  1. fred0325

    fred0325 Most Valued Member

    Messages:
    1,084
    Hello all,

    I bought this saw, mainly for the name of the company that made it. I don't always read the descriptions on Ebay when I buy things if the photo tells me what I want to know, and so I was surprised and pleased when the saw turned out to have an 18 inch blade.

    I know that the handle is nowhere near original, and this put me off a little at first, but having got the saw, I can see that the handle is homemade. Competently but not necessarily professionally done. It is nice to see someone putting his/her effort in to keep the saw in use, rather than just attaching a handle from another saw. I wonder if the holes have been kept in the same place in the blade, although as I can never take the handle off, I will never know.

    Does anyone know what the wood is. It looks like ash to me, but I have never yet been right on identifying the woods in any handles that I have speculated on.:)

    This maker is not in BSSM, but I have found the following research on the company, not in terms of saws, but razors.

    In the 1850s a mechant called Edward Gem run a hardware business in Birmingham, but teamed up with two gents called Moilliet to form Moilliet & Gem to open a sheffield office. The partnership didn't last long, being dissolved in 1858, but Edward Gem, now styling himself as 'successor to Moilliet & Gem' now had a foot-hold in Sheffield and was manufacturing cutlery and knives, particularly Bowie-style knives. At some point after 1861 he acquired the marks of Stacey, Pease & Co including the GB mark and maltese cross.

    In 1890 Edward Gems business was sold to Alfred Field of Alfred Field & Co, who had been in the hardware business in Birmingham in 1836, had gone to America and opened up in New York, returned to Birmingham in 1854 and opened a Sheffield outlet in 1876. Although Alfred died in 1884 - 6 years before his company bought the business of Edward Gem & Co - his business continued with his son Harry and did not cease trading until 1933.

    So, the GB and the maltese cross were split from the anchor. In order for that to happen, they must have been registered with the cutlery guild separately - you can't just 'split' a single mark into two! It isn't unreasonable to suppose that the Brittain family kept the anchor mark, and that some razors have a lone anchor and some just a GB mark and maltese cross and some both.


    http://straightrazorplace.com/razors/97537-anchor-mark-razor.html

    Although Edward Gem may have been a manufacturer after his breakup with Moilliet, the partnership is described in the 1852 and 1856 directories as being merchants, and so I am guessing that they had their saw (at least) made for them.

    Fred
     

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  2. Ken

    Ken Member

    Messages:
    7
    Hello there. I'm new to the forum. But FWIW I'd say your handle is beech. The boss looks like it could just about be either but the grip looks more far more like beech than ash. If you do take it off and the beech is steamed the inside of the rivet holes might still show pink.
    Interesting that a maker of (presumably) very few saws would go for such an esoteric length. Perhaps he half had in mind an eye catching window display.
    Ken
     
  3. fred0325

    fred0325 Most Valued Member

    Messages:
    1,084
    Thanks for the reply Ken,

    and welcome to the forum.

    Well, at least I can say that I have kept my 100% record of misdiagnosing woods.

    That must be a good thing?? ;)

    Fred
     
  4. Ken

    Ken Member

    Messages:
    7
    Its not easy recognising wood in something as small as a saw handle so no shame there! It just so happens I was experimenting with finishes on beech and so the patterns were freshly imprinted on my brain.
    If it helps you'll almost never see wide grained woods like ash on a saw handle. The unavoidable short grain means such woods break too easily. Though of course ash is very strong in long grained orientations like in a chisel handle. Oak to an extent suffers from the same problem. Mind you with homemade handles all bets are off.