Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Saw Dating
David Miller from Iowa
>In 2000, I went to a handsaw "appreciation" course (sharpening, dating, restoring) at Highland Hardware. Jay Ricketts taught it and he stated that any saw with a flat bottomed handle is from the 1700s.
Paid $5 for this carcase saw (16" blade)in Kirksville Missouri, yesterday. Steel spine is stamped "Kington" - sounds English, but I am not familiar with this maker.
Are flat bottomed saws 200 years old?
David
Re: Saw Dating
Dean J in MN
>All my flat bottom saws are new... :-)
-Dean
Re: Saw Dating
Marv
>That sounds strange....Did Jay give you names of saw makers who produced saws during that era who made the flat bottom handles?
Jay is a collector of handsaws, like 1500 of them, so he must know alot about handsaws in general.
Marv
Re: Saw Dating
Adam Cherubini, NJ
>I'm pretty sure English saw makers made flat bottomed saws in the 19th c.
The saws we think of as 18th c saws, saws like those found in the Seaton chest or those Mike Wenz makes, are really a late century form. Mid century saws look a bit different and are very rare. Earlier saws are even rarer.
Pretty sure Wmsburg is reproducing more of the mid century back saws, which i think are neat. Joel's Grammercy saws appear later, or early 19th c (Duncan Phyfe).
From a user's perspective, I don't think of of this matters. That said, there is a bright performance line between 18th and early 19th c saws and late 19th and 20th c saws.
Adam
Re: Saw Dating
Don McConnell
>David,
British saws with flat-bottomed handles, commonly referred to as "London Pattern" handles, continued to be made through most, if not all, of the 19th century. Saws with London Pattern handles, made by known nineteenth century British saw makers, appear with some regularity. Additionally, I know of at least one 1892 advertisement illustrating such a handle.
As to the maker, I'm coming up empty. I am wondering, though, if "KINGTON" refers to a location? (Kington is a small town in Herefordshire.) Even if that is the case it isn't much help, as I've not found evidence of any saw makers located there. Though, it is possible that it was made by a known maker, and stamped with the name and location of a Kington tool dealer, or ironmonger. There were a couple of long-lived ironmongers located in Kington, so they might be possible candidates.
Sorry I can't be more help than that.
Don McConnell
Eureka Springs, AR
Re: Saw Dating
paul womack
>Jay Ricketts taught it and he stated that any saw with a flat bottomed handle is from the 1700s.
Certainly not true in the UK; these handles held on much longer.
BugBear