Picked up this 14" backsaw from eBay UK recently. I thought I'd share some photos. Made by Thomas Tyzack around the middle of the 1800's. According to this source (http://www.tyzack.net/chap15.pdf) Thomas Tyzack started making saws with his brother William in 1812 and founded a company Thomas and William Tyzack in 1817. I do not know if there are saws stamped "Thomas and William Tyzack." This partnership is dissolved in the mid 1820's. Later (and the date is not specified) Thomas Tyzack and Sons is formed. Thomas Tyzack died in 1864 and his son Thomas (one of the sons in Thomas Tyzack and Sons) died in 1865. As to the handle shape - I couldn't find an exact match on the net. It appears to be most similar to those found on older Spear and Jackson backsaws and Marsh backsaws (http://tgiag.com/saw-handle-scans.html). It has a little triangle at the bases of both the bottom and top horns. The S&J and Marsh having the little triangle only at the base of the top horn on the example I found.
Hi Homesy, I moved this post into the main discussion forum, hope you don't mind. I'm looking forwards to seeing how it cleans up. Tyzacks can be confusing. I'm sure I've got a family tree somewhere around here that I can't find at the moment... Tis the season for Tyzacks is seems, now we need a Joseph Tyzack to complete the set. Regards Ray PS the triangle you referred to is sometimes call a nib, so you've got top and bottom nibs. Sometimes you get double nibs.
Hi Homesy, Your saw likely dates according to the Hand-Saw Makers of Britain listing of Thomas Tyzack 1833-1847, (Thomas Tyzack & Sons listed as 1849-96) Handle designs often differed on saws of the same age and manufacturer, depending on the saw quality. Your saw with the brass back was likely one of TT's top line saws, and it has a nicely carved handle to reflect this. There is also a chance that this is a replacement handle (the saw screws were in backwards, indicating the handle has been removed sometime in the past), however the screw holes through the plate still look original and I suspect the "J Lindsay"? owner's stamp on both the handle and saw back were applied when the saw was new-ish [unless all that rust which has perforated the plate under the handle occurred beneath a previous handle ?] Your cleanup of the blade looks about finished. (post a picture of the complete saw when your refurbishment is completed)
I don't mind in the least, Ray. The photos may be seen by more readers in the main discussion forum. I'm waiting for some saw bolts and split nuts to arrive from the US and then I'll fit a new handle. I'll post a photo or two when finished. I repaired the original handle, too, as I felt it was worth keeping. It had a crack through the cheeks and into the handle hole as well as a crack in the thin portion at the bottom of the handle. The reference I quoted in the original post has the information to create a Tyzack family tree but there is a lot of reading to be done to create it. Having said that, one definitely needs the text to identify which William, Thomas or Joseph the tree refers to. Yes, nibs: much better than "little triangles." Paul
Yes, I did notice this saw had the screws installed contrary to convention and wondered about the handle being a replacement. It is a pity the blade is corroded under the handle. The metal around two of the three screw holes is sound, however, so it should become a good user. The name stamped into the brass back is I Lindsay not J, although, I believe, an I was sometimes used as a J in older written English. My wife looked up both I and J Lindsay in a genealogy website but found nothing of note. I will post a photo once fitted with a handle. I'm waiting for some replacement screws and split nuts.