So what did I buy here?

[Matt Radtke]

I was vacationing this weekend and managed to find a little rust, this dovetail saw.
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I saw brass, "London," and split nuts and figured what the hell.
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I'd guess it's nothing terribly special, but I don't know. Anyone have a guess?

[Mark Baldwin III]

Don't know anything about it, but after hitting most of the antique stores in the southern half of the state, I haven't seen a single back saw! At least it seems there may be some out there.

[Jim Koepke]

What is the first letter before Littleton?

I couldn't find anything on a quick search of Littleton and saws.

May be a British saw that found its way across the pond.

Maybe one of the British woodworking sites might be better place to search.

jtk

[Matt Radtke]

What is the first letter before Littleton?

I couldn't find anything on a quick search of Littleton and saws.

May be a British saw that found its way across the pond.

Maybe one of the British woodworking sites might be better place to search.


First Letter: 'F'

My searches also turned up nothing and it certainly looks very British to my (amateur) eyes: brass back, the handle, that the back is stamped "London."

[Matt Radtke]

Don't know anything about it, but after hitting most of the antique stores in the southern half of the state, I haven't seen a single back saw! At least it seems there may be some out there.

You clearly didn't go far enough North or West. Found this one in the Dells.

[Don McConnell]

I believe your saw was made by Frederick Littleton, listed as a saw maker in trade directories between 1884 to 1899, at 61 Regency Street, Westminster SW, London - according to the information I currently have.

Don McConnell
Eureka Springs, AR

[Matt Radtke]

Awesome, thanks. Don't suppose this is particularly valuable or anything? I'd hate to clean up the plate to make it a user, only to find out it's worth $5,000 or something crazy.

[Jim Matthews]

It's a tool, not a Faberge egg.
Sharpen it for use - and make furniture with it.

[Matt Radtke]

Jim,

That's my general approach. I just like to be smart about it. For example, were I to luck into a Stanley no.1 on the cheap, I wouldn't touch it. I'd resell it, buy a LN 1 (if I needed such a size) and buy some wood or more goodies with the $800 or so I' have left over.

[daniel lane]

It's a tool, not a Faberge egg.
Sharpen it for use - and make furniture with it.

Thanks, Jim - I had to clean coffee off the monitor. Is this copyrighted (copywrote?), I'm considering either making a sign for the shop with this, or possibly just using it as a new footer. :)


daniel

[george wilson]

Just having the brass back makes the saw a good one to have. Clean off the blade and sharpen it. It should work quite well. I haven't priced brass backed saws in many years,since I made my own,but even in the 70's they were at least $75.00,If I recall correctly.

[Matt Radtke]

Just having the brass back makes the saw a good one to have. Clean off the blade and sharpen it. It should work quite well. I haven't priced brass backed saws in many years,since I made my own,but even in the 70's they were at least $75.00,If I recall correctly.

Well, now I'm curious what I could get for it. I paid $30 for it. If I could sell it for $75, I could buy the Veritas dovetail saw, so a 1 to 1 trade--not worth it.

Now if I could buy a new replacement and have money left over...I'll have to see what they go for on the 'Bay now. Excuse me.

[george wilson]

The old saw has character,and it is a maker I haven't heard of before,though I am NOT a researcher or collector(for the sake of collecting). I collect things to use.

[Matt Radtke]

I agree. I collect my stuff to use as well. I just make sure I'm not about to 'destroy' something of value in making it a user. Especially if I can get good value for it.

I like character as well, but am generally okay with selling character for high-quality new.

I'd guess it isn't worth too much, but I just want to make sure. I know diddly about British saws from the late 1800s.

Certainly leaning towards just cleaning it up and putting it to work. Getting the split nuts loose will be fun. They're so worn, I can barely make out the recesses.

[Zach Dillinger]

I don't think I'd mess with those split nuts. You don't really need to take that saw apart, and if you clean it up you'll lose a lot of the charm. I'd sharpen it, wax the plate and the handle, and use it.

[Jim Koepke]

+1 on what Zach said.

You are more likely to break the screws than to do any good.

jtk

[Matt Radtke]

So here she is after some work. I cleaned up the plate as best I could without removing the handle or polishing the brass back and cleaned and waxed the handle.

First filing is done, though I still need to joint, set, and then file again. As is, it will actually cut pine to the full depth of the back. In walnut...it makes a marking gauge line.

One thing I forgot to post last time: It is clearly well used. In addition to the handle being a bit buggered up around the nuts, I can tell the previous owner was a righty and had smaller hands than me. There is a groove worn from his thumb and depression from the tip of his index finger.
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[Mark Baldwin III]

That looks really nice. Nice and clean, and still has all of the character left. Filing won't ruin any of that.
Your find is making me want to drive back out to Columbus and see what might be floating around there. That place is HUGE, I've been there twice and doubt I've seen half of what's hidden away. I'll have to look up some of the other places to the west, as the closer you get to Milwaukee the pickings get thinner. They get more expensive too. Most of the stores around here bring in the hipsters and artsy-crafty decorators who think, "aw, that quaint old tool would look so pretty on my wall," and then they shell out serious cash for it. Seriously, there's an incomplete Stanley 45 that sold for over a grand ($1450, if I remember right).

[Michael H Greene]

Well, now I'm curious what I could get for it. I paid $30 for it. If I could sell it for $75, I could buy the Veritas dovetail saw, so a 1 to 1 trade--not worth it.

Now if I could buy a new replacement and have money left over...I'll have to see what they go for on the 'Bay now. Excuse me.

I have the Veritas, it is a good saw but it has none of the cool factor of the one you have ( it's downright ugly!). Keep it and use it.

[Matt Radtke]

Meh, I remember Columbus being a cooler mall. My parents and grandparents are quite the antiquers, so spent many a day trolling through that place. Finally went there as an adult 2-ish years ago, and all I found was 5 transitionals, 4 blocks, and a couple of 5's so rusty, I wouldn't have $5 for them (they were asking more)

Now if you want glassware, that's the place to go.

[Zach Dillinger]

So here she is after some work. I cleaned up the plate as best I could without removing the handle or polishing the brass back and cleaned and waxed the handle.

First filing is done, though I still need to joint, set, and then file again. As is, it will actually cut pine to the full depth of the back. In walnut...it makes a marking gauge line.

One thing I forgot to post last time: It is clearly well used. In addition to the handle being a bit buggered up around the nuts, I can tell the previous owner was a righty and had smaller hands than me. There is a groove worn from his thumb and depression from the tip of his index finger.
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Nice job man. That's exactly what I pictured that saw would look like after proper cleaning. Get those teeth sharp and use the heck of out!

[john brenton]

I'm amazed that the tooth pattern seems to be in tact. I've never seen a back saw in the wild that didn't look like someone tried to file it while on crack.

[David Weaver]

The few english backsaws I've been able to turn up have also had the crackhead teeth on them. They are thin plates and easy to file, though.

they are much nicer saws to use than the disston equivalents and the other fat plated american saws of the same era.

[Zach Dillinger]

The few english backsaws I've been able to turn up have also had the crackhead teeth on them. They are thin plates and easy to file, though.

they are much nicer saws to use than the disston equivalents and the other fat plated american saws of the same era.

Indeed. I find that the same applies to most tools from Britain. I especially gravitate to English or Scottish chisels and gouges, planes and saws. I have, and use, a few American joiners tools, but I replace them with British tools when I find them. Might be a psychosomatic connection to my families heritage. Still looking to try out Irish tools, but haven't found any in the wild.

[Matt Radtke]

To be fair, the teeth were a bit wonky before I did my first filing.

Also, It looks like the saw used to be longer originally. The back isn't nicely ground/filed at the end. Looks like it might have been snapped off. Doesn't really matter, it's long enough for me to use as a dovetail saw, but perhaps that's why it wasn't further abused. I'm really thinking this was a favorite--between the wear on the handle and an attempt at recovering it.