Hello all, Are there not traps and pitfalls out there for the unwary novice. I bought this saw essentially for the shape of the handle as I like (what I am assuming is) the dolphin pattern. Fishtail = symmetrical, dolphin = asymmetrical??? Please correct me if I am wrong. But the bonus for me was the notation "German Steel". Now, I know little of British industrial history let alone German but I trained as a teacher many years ago, and what I do know is that the English state educational system from 1871 to at least 1963 was based on the need to produce a literate, numerate and skilled workforce to compete, initially with German industrial capacity and quality and later with the rest of the industrialised world. So, thought I, German Steel would be a sign of quality like London Spring. That was until I read the following http://www.wkfinetools.com/hUK/z-UKReading/steelAndSaws/steelAndSaws1.asp . It appears that the notation "German Steel" signifies, at least second quality steel if not third. It is also quite a timely topic as I see the Ray has mentioned research into German Steel a couple of topics ago. Never mind. I really bought the handle, not the saw but it just shows that you should do your research before you buy. Fred
Hi Fred, Thanks for linking to that article by Simon on steel, I was looking for it a few days ago, and couldn't find it anywhere, I suspect my links got scrambled in a site re-organization. Dolphin and fishtail and interchangable, fishtail is a bit more descriptive of the shape. A lot of these terms we use are modern inventions, and would probably not been understood by a 19th century sawmaker. Thos Turner and Co was another of the few who survived for many years in the Sheffield sawmaking business, (1837-1928) most only lasted a few years. I doubt they would have used the "German Steel" mark after 1914, so we are back to the dubious practice of "dating by style"... to my eye the style looks to be later 19thC maybe 1880's give or take 20 years. The handle which you quite rightly noted is nicely refined, and has that elegance and balance that seems to fade away in later saws. So maybe favour a shade earlier than 1880's... Regards Ray