Hello All, I got this saw recently after looking it up in HSMOB and thought that I was getting a saw from Liverpool. It was never going to be 1850 (HSMOB) from the style of it and perhaps the attribution of "Saw in the hands of a collector" should have got me thinking. But I wanted it come what may so it doesn't really matter. On being able to examine the back properly it says "Bishopsgate St EC". Now that to me says London, although I am not sufficiently familiar with Liverpool to say categorically that there was no Bishopsgate street in EC. (If there was even an EC). Anyway, I started to look in the directories (1880 forwards as this is not an early saw) and got exactly nowhere. There is a "Ross Alexander" who appears to supply the Army with a number of things but he is not in Bishopsgate and his name is probably Alexander Ross in any case. (Once bitten twice shy). There is a Ross, Alex. and Sons in Bishopsgate but he is a wig maker. A saw making surgeon is unlikely but a saw making wig maker stretches credulity. It is only a steel backed saw (9" long) but the handle is 15/16 th inches thick so it may not be Nth quality to coin Simon's rather polite phrase. The screws are 11/32nds and which are monsters for this size of boss. So I am stuck. Any ideas? Fred
Hi Fred, per a quick google; Ross and Alexander (aka "R and A" or Randa ), active in the 1930s at 165-7 Bishopsgate, London E.C.2 They published their catalogues titled "wood and metal working tools". For RandA lathes see http://www.lathes.co.uk/randa/ so its not really ancient, but its a nice little saw with a nicely shaped handle
Thanks Kiwi, Do you know I always google other people's saws, but not my own. Very remiss. I knew that the saw was late, but not that late. No wonder I couldn't find R and A looking from 1880 to 1914!!!!! (With about 100 hits per directory) Mind you, in that case it has to be one of the last saws ever made with split nuts. That is what threw me. I would never have thought post WW1 in a month of Sundays. It just shows Fred
Hi Fred, Although I googled them as operating in the 1930s, I'm not sure when they first opened their business. I had a look in the 1915 Post Office Directory and also found them there [see Part 4, Trades & Professional, p1944, under "Toolmakers & Dealers" ] This seems a more likely date for split nuts. With some more searching of the business name or the address, you may find even earlier dates for this company
Hi Fred, Kiwi, Grace's Guide has a few pictures of RandA machines, that gives a little bit of an insight to what other manufacturing they were involved in I have an Alexander open handled saw, I will dig it out later this week and have a closer look, maybe it's a cousin? Regards Ray
Hello all and Ray and Kiwi, I have got Ross and Alexander back to 1910 in the London P.O Trades and Professional under Tool Makers. I cannot find them in 1895 under toolmakers but I have only done a cursory search elsewhere, but I think that it is enough as 1910 or thereabouts would be somewhjere near for this saw. Thanks both for the pointers. Fred
Ross & Alexander I'm pleased to have been updated by Ray, as so often - Thanks! My entry for this firm was as follows ROSS & ALEXANDER LONDON 165 Bishopsgate (Street) EC 1880-1920 LIVERPOOL 36 Great Charlotte Street 1900-1913> [now 1944>] Also in Bootle and Birkenhead Tool dealers. I've only seen backsaws of theirs so far.