Rare panther head saw on eBay

[Mirboo]

My copy of Garrett Hack's book titled "Hand Tools" has a picture of a panther head saw on the cover. Garrett Hack describes these saws as follows.

"Among the rarest of the rare and prized by every collector is a panther saw by Woodrough and McParlin Saw Company of Cincinnati Ohio (c. 1880). Flowing from the shapely lines of the handle and incised decoration is the head of a growling panther."

Here is the eBay listing.

I wonder if Mike could do one with a growling bear? :-k

 

[Alf]

Ever since that book came out it seems to me the Panther head has got less and less rare. I assume it's 'cos now people know it's "proper" now so they're coming out of the woodwork ("proper" as opposed to "oh, great uncle Wilbur must have carved this himself") - rather than something more suspicious. :-k

Must admit it'd be pretty cool to do something similar - maybe a parrot...

Cheers, Alf

 

[Mirboo]

The "incised decoration" on the panther saw on eBay is different to the decoration on the saw pictured both on and in Gerrett Hack's book. I'm not sure if the difference is significant or not? The eBay seller mentions the vintage saws website so I checked it out and there is a panther saw for sale there as well. The decoration on the one for sale at vintage saws is different again, but closer to the one on eBay than the one in Garrett Hack's book.

I'm not sure how I'd go carving anything that resembled a panther, a bear or a parrot into a saw handle. I think I'd have to carve something with fewer features. Perhaps something like a slug would be more in tune with my carving abilities. 8-[

 

[colinj]

Starting bid a bit dear for a poor struggling writer
Colinj

 

[Mittlefehldt]

Colin he reposted it at a lower starting bid, it is currently selling at $366. which for someone like me who balks at paying more than ten dollars for a saw it is still too much.

James

 

[Evergreen]

It's certainly a rare tool but has anyone ever claimed that the panther head saw was a great leap forward in the world of saw making? Putting it simply, did/does a panther head saw actually cut wood better or last longer than any other make of saw?

I guess the fancy handle was a very clever bit of marketing by the maker. I wonder what the craftsmen of the day thought of them?

Regards.

 

[colinj]

How much in GBP is it then is it about £2000 GBP?

 

[Paul Kierstead]

It's certainly a rare tool but has anyone ever claimed that the panther head saw was a great leap forward in the world of saw making? Putting it simply, did/does a panther head saw actually cut wood better or last longer than any other make of saw?

Oh absolutely! The panther head saw uses extremely carefully hardened steel in a well-ahead-of-its-time process. It is so advanced that no modern owner has ever had to re-sharpen one.