How old is a Spear & Jackson back saw?
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Tagged: Spear&Jackson backsaw
- This topic has 9 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 1 year, 9 months ago by Terry Dixon.
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22 October 2015 at 11:24 pm #131621
I recently purchased a couple of brass back tenon saws on eBay and I am in the process of cleaning them, sharpening them and setting them. They have two different logos on one of the brass nuts on the handle. i was looking online for resource to understand how old they can be, based on the shape of the handle, on the shape of the logo on the brass nuts on the handle, etc. but couldn’t find any info. Does anyone know of such a resource?
Thanks,
//Francesco23 October 2015 at 5:16 am #131626I don’t know of anything specific, Gallarotti, but maybe you could search the Lumberjocks.com website. A member there named “Brit” has done many, many posts and blogs on saws. Maybe he’ll have something you’re looking for.
23 October 2015 at 10:35 am #131627@mattmcgrane – now that’s an awesome reference – while I haven’t found the answer I was looking for, that guy really knows his saws!
23 October 2015 at 3:50 pm #131630Yes. And he is the same guy who did the long youtube video on Sharpening Western Saws. He’s got so much knowledge and shares it willingly.
Francesco-
Spear & Jackson is over 250 years old. I have not been able to find a type study on their backsaws, but here is some history:
Please post a photo of the saw’s medalion and imprint on the back. Perhaps we can dig up a scanned catalog…
- This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Scott.
More info from Ray Gardiner courtesy of “The Porch”:
Does the back saw have split-nuts to secure the handle? That may assist in dating the saw.
23 October 2015 at 10:40 pm #131643Spear and Jackson still make back saws today I own a few so they could be very old or not that old it’s any bodies guess.. as far as I understand it they don’t have distinguishing features to determine age
19 July 2022 at 6:32 pm #767670Hi,
I hope no one minds me resurrecting this old thread but I’m looking to try and date a old S&J 14″ tenon saw, brass backed with a lambs tongue handle and medallion. Unfortunately some amateur has ‘renovated’ it and there is no sign of the blade etch that I can make out and teh back has been ‘tightened’ by squeezing in a machine vice withoout protective jaws. However it still sharpens and cuts very well, I didn’t pay a lot but just interested to find out an approximate age.Picture of the handle below (before I strip and refinish)-
TerryD
Attachments:
You must be logged in to view attached files.20 July 2022 at 2:16 pm #767768Hi,
I forgot to add that the saw I posted above is a ‘Leapfrog’saw with a ‘cast steel’ plate (blade);
TerryD
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