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With the maker's name, and often location as well, stamped on the back, one is more likely to positively document a backsaw compared to deciphering a mark on a rusted blade. For these reasons, I chose the backsaw for this study. During the eighteenth and first half of the nineteenth centuries, Sheffield, England. was the world s toolmaking center. The first American saws reflected Sheffield work of the time. American mechanics' preference for British products continued in many cases through the 1850s. During America's first fifty years, its craftsmen became increasingly skilled at making saws using English steel. Early in 1850, Henry Disston began producing top quality steel in the United States. After Disston, America became the world leader in sawmaking. Erwin Shafer's book, Hand Saw Makers of North America, the EAIA's The Directory of North American Took Makers, Kenneth Roberts's Some Nineteenth Century Woodworking Tools, which lists Sheffield makers, and Simon Barley's revision of Roberts's list have been used as references. EAIA member Simon Barley is from Britain and is currently doing a study on Sheffield sawmakers. He has been kind enough to provide information to help weed out saws that were thought to be American made, but, in fact, were manufactured elsewhere. There are saws that were made in England with American company names and places of manufacture. For example, I sent Simon a saw lightly stamped in front of the handle "Turner and Davies," a Sheffield company, and boldly stamped "T.J. Wood, New York" in the usual location. (This particular saw is the earliest saw that Simon has seen of this type.) With Simon's information on these Sheffield saws in hand, I had to eliminate several saws from under consideration. The Sheffield information is most important as many makers listed as American are also listed in the Sheffield list. In these cases, I assume the saws are British made. I believe there are many American-made saws that have a name stamped on their backs and nothing else. The following information may help in dating the time of manufacture. Drawings included with this study show the different designs used in the making of handles. I have assigned descriptive names to the different parts of the handles. If others have better nomenclature, let me know. Common naming practices will enable anyone to describe a saw over the phone or Internet as easily as describing the parts of a plane. The nomenclature will be used in the data that follow.
The characteristics of a typical Disston handle.
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