Can anyone give me some idea of what this saw is?

[RobSmart]

Hi,

Can anyone give me some more info about this saw?

I picked it up at the weekend from a bootsale. I couldn't resist buying it cause you just don't see many of these types of saws around.

It looks old, and is still in the original wrapping. It is also in excellent condition with the teeth very sharp and well set.

Is it rare? How much is it worth?

Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks,

Rob

 

[DTR]

Looks like a logging saw to me, used for chopping up green wood.

 

[kwigly]

logging saw it is.
one-man crosscut
useful for cutting your wood into fireplace length bits

It's missing its helper handle (fits into the hole in the top of the saw plate, at the handle end for two handed one-man use, or at the toe to make it a two-man saw if you have a helper)
They're fairly common here in Ontario, and not much collector value here unless you have the helper handle and a good maker's/retailer's etch on the blade. (Check ebay "sold " listings for approx value)

 

[MIGNAL]

Great American tooth pattern. Perhaps they were called something else here in the UK.

 

[Bedrock]

I have one, albeit not so old or nice, nor having the hole for the helping handle. I thought they were called "Farmers' Saws". Cost me nothing.

Useful for small logging when the chainsaw is giving trouble, or when the trouser button is a little tight.

It was a useful test for basic saw sharpening, but now we have moved, we no longer have a wood burner.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

If you want to use it with an assistant, Thomas Flinn sell spare handles that will probably fit, I think.

 

[bugbear]

If you want to use it with an assistant, Thomas Flinn sell spare handles that will probably fit, I think.

Here's the whole saw;

http://www.flinn-garlick-saws.co.uk/aca ... t_Saw.html

BugBear

 

[Racers]

Here's one being made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_qf9QGHfBg

Pete

 

[heimlaga]

I second the others. A one man crosscut saw with American tooth pattern. Probably early 20th century. They were very hard on the body but they allowed loggers to fell and buck even rather big trees without a helper. Before the introduction of theese saws loggers used two man saws required one man at each end. Bow saws were commonly used for felling and bucking smaller trees up to around 30cm in diametre but they couldn't cut through big trunks.
The crosscut saw era was short. Barely a century. At least until the mid 19th century all felling and bucking was done with axes. In some very remote areas the first bowsaws and two man crosscut saws appeared around 1900. One man crosscut saws became common in Österbotten just before the second world war but in some places they didn't break through before the chainsaws came and in some places they appeared much earlier. In the 1950-ies the first petrol powered chainsaws came though their final breakthrough was in the 60-ies. The last man around here who refused to use a chainsaw in the woods hasn't felled a tree in many years. He is 90 years old and very ill.

I have a few of those old one man saws. Swedish made ones with a different tooth pattern and plywood handles. They costed me 1-3 euros apiece and would be good enough to take to the woods for a day's work after only a bit of cleaning and sharpening.
Though a super nice one like yours may be worth quite a bit more. There are people collecting those older models.

 

[Dovetaildave]

We've seen the saw.
We've seen the saw made.
Now we see the saw used, albeit sped up some
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca6m3qXLdd8

Regards,
Dave

 

[heimlaga]

Here are two more films showing theese saws un use:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qvfw-QxuP50
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRhpGgFYi10


One is filmed around 1915 so then the one man saw was truely state of the art.