Around 1845, the rounded nib could be found on both the top and bottom of the handle.

By the 1850s, the nibs were pointed.

They were widely used in the industry at times at the top, and less frequently top and bottom.  Disston, around 1855, may have been the first to use the double nib top and bottom on special editions. Richardson Brothers are the only other company that I know of to use the double nib.

Templates were used to mark the outline of handles. The handles were then cut out by hand with the result that the worker would probably never make an exact duplicate.

The shape of the horns on a handle might have reflected the workman's artistic inclinations.

Reviewing the horns in the collection indicates that there is a variety of shapes. Some are rather short and some long and beautiful proportioned. Many of the horns fell between the two extremes.

A check of individual makers did not indicate any particular pattern. The earlier the saw, the greater the chance of that the horns have been damaged and they have the appearance of being stubby when, in fact the saws were without a doubt beautiful shaped when new. By the 1890s probably to cut costs, makers began produced handles that lacked the workmanship of earlier days. The horns went from being nicely shaped at 1/16 to 1/8 inch at the tip to 1/4 inch with squared edges. I could not find any particular element of design to aid in determining an age factor.

A handle design common to Sheffield saws had a 3-inch flat at the handle base called the London pattern.

There are eight saws in the collection with this type of handle, which is considered rare for an American-made saw. The earliest is circa 1760, and the latest by Michael Schwartz circa 1835. Both makers are from Boston. Schwartz is best known for his work in Bangor, Maine, after 1839.

Early saws had the grip line hang 20 to 15 degrees off a plumb line from the saw's back. (See article, "The Backsaw Blade Tapered and Parallel.")

A typical handsaw was hung in the same manner except it related to the line formed by the teeth. Note that the angle at which a backsaw approached the work is accentuated when the blade is narrower at the toe. A twentieth-century saw that I have observed had the angle of grip at 30 to 35 degree angle.

Henry Disston around 1840 began to make closed-handled saws that were 12 inches and under with the 35 degree angle. Over the next five to ten years, all makers in the United States followed Disston's lead.