This is a 14" backsaw from the early 1800's, would be my guess. The Shaffer and McConnell book on English makers doesn't list Patterson, nor does Shaffer's last book on North American makers. My other guess is that it is English. There would be very few American makers at this time. Can anyone out there shed more light on this saw?
I think this has to be from the U.K., as only one Patterson is listed in America and they were in San Fransisco from 1863-1866. The reason is that German Steel was used around 1820, so that pre-dates the American Patterson.
Hi, I have done a cursory search of the on-line directories and can find no "Patterson" as a saw maker in any that I have looked at, although I have concentrated only on Yorkshire, Sheffield, Birmingham and London pre 1850. The nearest that I can come up with is a Joseph Wyman Patterson in the 1841 Post Office directory of London. There are two entries:- Almy Patterson and Co. America Merchants at 17 Ironmonmger Lane p. 294 and Joseph Wyman Patterson p. 509 at the same address and same occupation. It is a bit of a stretch of the imagination, but a little while ago I put on here a saw by Slack Sellars and Graysons that had a medallion for Greaves, who styled himself as an American Merchant, so I cannot see why a firm trading as such should not completely mark a saw destined for export with their firm's name. The saw definitely looks pre 1830 - ish with the simple stamp low on the chamfered back. It may be a lot earlier still, but I cannot find any London directories between 1808 (no Pattersons present then) and the 1841 directory. It depends how long they were in business for. Anyway lovely saw and a good find. I will keep on looking for Pattersons elsewhere and more directly related to sawmaking. Fred
Greetings I have a "Patterson" saw with the identical mark as the one pictured...and I have seen at least two others. They all have the London pattern tote and are backsaws in the 12 to 14 inch size. I always assumed mine was the Patterson referred to in HSMofNA, as the style and vintage fit (mid-19th c.)
Patterson Backsaw I also have a Patterson backsaw marked in the same way except mine says "cast steel". Mine has the classic London pattern closed handle right down to the 3" flat on the bottom, which Phil Baker says is very common to Sheffield. The J. Patterson in HSNofNA is James Patterson who partnered with Charles Sheffield to form the Pacific Saw Mfg. Co. in San Francisco (also referenced by Schaffer) and who you can read about at WKFinetools.com under US saws. It's possible Patterson made some saws with only his name on them but I think it's unlikely. More probable is that the Patterson saws were made by W. K. & C. Peace, Eagle Works, Sheffield. The publication "Trademarks on Base-Metal Tableware" (http://www.sha.org/documents/research/Parks_Canada_Resources/Trademarks on Base-Metal Tableware.pdf) shows Patterson to be one of the trademarks of W. K. & C. Peace. Additionally, the book "Some 19th Century English Woodworking Tools" by Kennith Roberts has on page 63 a copy of an advertisement by W. K. & C. Peace in which it says "Sole makers of the goods marked ........ and J. Patterson". So based on that I believe they were made by W. K. & C. Peace. Vince