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Rob Hillstrom
08-02-2011, 1:28 AM
Lurker coming in out of the shadows. Kinda new so I have more to read than post.. :rolleyes:
Found this little fella at an antique store for $4.50 and thought if it's junk I might let my little one play with it (she likes to be in the shop). After rust, paint splatter, and crud removal it appears to be a decent old saw. The blade is about 14" long and has about 2 to 2 1/2 " cutting depth. It says C.E. Jennings and Co and New York on the plate and button. I could not find much on the net about them other than this bought a bunch of other companies. Is this a junker? How old? Does it have any value?
Thanks all.
203827

David Weaver
08-02-2011, 7:39 AM
Probably has a little more value than you paid for it, but not scads (that's not to say an unscrupulous ebay seller wouldn't try to list it for $75 and let it go on ebay for several years hoping for a sucker). The plate depth is a bit short for a 14" saw, so it's seen a lot of use I'd guess. That shouldn't affect you using it, just a statement of value money-wise, near new full-plate depth has the most work.

Sharpen it and put it to wood, you'll probably be pleased with how it works. Jennings saws are good saws, and it's old enough to have a handle that's a little more tasteful than the standard tasteless disston machine-made looking blocky handles that you see on most disston #4s.

Is it 14" at the toothline? The scale looks a little funny (handle size to plate) for 14".

Nevertheless, if it's straight, it should make a useful saw for you.

Archie England
08-02-2011, 8:29 AM
that's a hearty congrats! Great find for under $5!

These old saws, once sharpened, make great users.

Enjoy,

Archie

Rob Hillstrom
08-02-2011, 9:21 AM
Yeah it struck me same as having a short depth for the length. Otherwise the handle is pristine (which is rare for any old saw) and the thing is super straight which makes me think it will be a good worker for small part and this is what led to wonder how old the thing might be (wear vs. handle shape/straightness)

george wilson
08-02-2011, 9:35 AM
Wonder how old it is to have that fully sculpted lamb's tail?

Michael Ray Smith
08-02-2011, 11:48 AM
You may have already found this information, but the Davistown Museum web site and the Mid-West Tool Collectors web site have some history of CE Jennings.

Steve Branam
08-02-2011, 8:36 PM
That looks very nice, especially with that handle. Definitely a good buy! Given the high wear but good condition, maybe it was a prized worker in some cabinetmaker's toolbox. Long service and well-cared for.

Joshua Clark
08-04-2011, 12:54 AM
That's a very nice saw you found. C.E. Jennings made saws from the late 1800s up to 1932 according to Schaffer's book. Jennings started out making saws in Port Jervis, NY and later got involved in making of edge tools and boring tools in various locations including Yalesville, CT. They acquired and consolidated many of the early Connecticut River Valley edge tool makers in VT and NH. From what I've found, the edge tool and boring tool business seems to be separate from the saw making business.

Jennings made very high quality handsaws. Your saw is a good example. Their saws tend to have a higher level of fit and finish than their Disston equivalents. That saw of yours has a lamb's tongue loop and a extra-curvy handle with long horns and a hump that fits into the user's palm quite nicely. Those were features not seen on a backsaw since the British saws of the mid-late 1800s. Jennings made a line of saws roughly equivalent to the Disston lineup of the same period. They also made many saws for hardware dealers like the Lakeside brand. There isn't much "out there" on Jennings, so their saws are still a mystery to most folks, and still quite affordable.

For $4.50 that's a heck of a deal- congrats.

-Josh

george wilson
08-04-2011, 10:04 AM
I'd find a less valuable saw for your child. Be careful,she can get a nasty,ragged cut from a saw. I was sawing with a back saw and trying to talk to a bunch of tourists in my shop one time. The saw jumped out of the cut,and sawed a ragged cut into one of my fingers. Not that serious,but children have much smaller fingers!

Rob Hillstrom
08-07-2011, 4:16 AM
Wow, thanks all! In the meantime I have sharpened the teeth with a file and the steel is VERY high quality. Solid and files very cleanly. Teeth are super sharp and cuts like butter. I still need to joint and set it though. I was browsing through the Lie-Nielsen catalog and noted their carcass saws have similar measurements (14" overall length and a smidge over 2" on cut depth) so I don't think that it's actually that used up. After noting the robust and heavy spine and straightness the next thing I noted was the handle was REALLY comfortable so what you're saying Josh is making sense to me.
Don't worry George, once I found out in the process of cleanup that the had potential as a great worker my daughter wasn't getting near it. For the record, I would have jointed the teeth to remove the cutting edge to give her the workshop equivalent of those butter knives with vestigial teeth.
Thanks again,
Rob

Tony Shea
08-07-2011, 11:54 AM
The handle on that saw is great. That would have drawn my attention immediatly. For some reason that is one of the first things I look at before picking up a saw. And this one would have instantly called my name. It almost looks aftermarket as if a skilled craftsman put it on after the fact. But I don't know enough about C.E. Jennings saws to even begin to say for sure. If not then C.E. Jennings did an amazing job with that handle and I'm officially on the lookout for one. Great find!

Joshua Clark
08-08-2011, 3:58 PM
The handle shape is definitely original to the saw. It's a distinctive shape that Jennings used on their better back saws. Here is a picture of a Jennings saw handle in detail-

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More pictures of the saw can be found here.


J (http://hyperkitten.com/pics/tools/fs/archives/June2011/s3.html)ennings also made saws for hardware stores like Fulton and Lakeside. The back saws at least can be identified as Jennings' products by their distinctive handles and deeper than normal etching. Here is a handle from a Fulton backsaw- identical to the Jennings branded saw.
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More pictures of the Fulton saw can be found here.

T (http://hyperkitten.com/pics/tools/fs/archives/June2011/s4.html)he Jennings full-size handsaws are also very well-made. I Just picked up a Lakeside thumbhole rip saw made by Jennings with a wheat-carved apple handle that's well beyond anything Disston produced.

-Josh