1900's saw sharpening

[Brian Hale]

I was watching a documentary on Penn Station in New York when this image was shown so i captured a screen shot and thought you folks might like it


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Brian :)

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Very nice.... looks like he has three more saws to work on.... or has he finished three (on the ground next to him).

[george wilson]

So many travelers took their saws with them when going on a train. Possibly to saw themselves from the wreckage should there be a terrible crash. Therefore,having this handy service available is a benefit that many availed themselves of.

But,the saws kept sawing their clothing,or the clothing of those close to them. The practice of carrying saws about on trains was discontinued,and lost to history.

[Brian Hale]

I tried to enlarge the saw vice

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[Kees Heiden]

He's got a real intense look!

[James Pallas]

In the city where I grew up the. Person we called the scissor man came by the house, as did the egg man and the vegetable man and others. My mom would have him do her sewing scissors. He did sharpen anything with an edge. I would look in the back of his van and watch him sharpen my moms scissors. He always had saws, sickles and an occasional reel type mower in the van.
Jim

[george wilson]

Most of these itinerate sharpeners would hand you back a knife,sharp,but ruined,the temper having been hurt.

[Mel Fulks]

Most of these itinerate sharpeners would hand you back a knife,sharp,but ruined,the temper having been hurt.
That's why they were called " I TIN er rate"

[Patrick Chase]

I tried to enlarge the saw vice

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Compulsive sharpening of anything (saws included) is indeed a vice, but we 'mericans call that that thing he's using a vise.

Sorry, couldn't resist...

[Mel Fulks]

That's ok ,Patrick. Winton used to be the vise viceroy. Glad he had an apprentice!

[george wilson]

I doubt that this humble man thought he deserved guru status because he could sharpen a saw!:) How things have declined in this modern age!!!

[steven c newman]

And, to think,he worked all those years to get a sit down job....

[Glen Canaday]

On a more serious note, I am paying attention to his pose. He is sharpening the saw to his side rather than right in front of him. His left arm is draped over the saw vise, and I presume the saw file is held in a special grip in his right hand that we can't see. I am guessing that this is a comfortable way to do it for him, which makes me wonder if all the sharpeners I've seen do it are doing things the hard way.

[Pete Taran]

I sometimes set up my sharpening bench up on the home run porch at Progressive Field while watching the Indians. ;)

[Patrick Chase]

I sometimes set up my sharpening bench up on the home run porch at Progressive Field while watching the Indians. ;)

Do you do that to avoid actually having to watch the Indians? ;)

I imagine you have to pack it up when the visiting team is batting, though.

[Pete Taran]

Patrick,

I can tell you are a big baseball fan. The Tribe has been leading the division for over two months which includes a 14 game winning streak, the longest in baseball this year. Drop a note if the Giants ever take a lead in the west. :D

[Patrick Chase]

Patrick,

I can tell you are a big baseball fan. The Tribe has been leading the division for over two months which includes a 14 game winning streak, the longest in baseball this year. Drop a note if the Giants ever take a lead in the west. :D

You're right, I don't follow baseball that closely, though I knew they were doing really well this year.

Your previous post was such a perfect setup that I was compelled to take the bait anyway (esp. the bit about setting up shop on that porch in the LF corner, since that would imply that the HRs aren't exactly raining down). Also we're talking about a team that's historically been so thoroughly mired in futility that there's a (fine, nay Oscar-worthy) movie about it.

I promise to work on my self-control :-).

[Stanley Covington]

On a more serious note, I am paying attention to his pose. He is sharpening the saw to his side rather than right in front of him. His left arm is draped over the saw vise, and I presume the saw file is held in a special grip in his right hand that we can't see. I am guessing that this is a comfortable way to do it for him, which makes me wonder if all the sharpeners I've seen do it are doing things the hard way.

Do you think his sawvise is attached to the small bench he is sitting on, or is he using a butt clamp to hold it in place? It looks like a very intelligent, lightweight, and efficient way of combining a sawvice (sic), workbench, work chair, office, and storefront. If he combined it with a bicycle to haul his workshop, office, and tools around, with a pedal-driven grinder attached, he could sharpen a wide range of tools.

A beautiful grinder:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im0TFh9fc-Q

The precision of this grinder is astounding!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bx_PkNIfK4

[Rich Riddle]

That might be Mike Allen's dad.

[Kees Heiden]

Those kids are easilly entertained too.

[Daniel Rode]

I was at the Boston Public Market last weekend and saw a woman with a jig fastened to a small steel cart sharpening knives. Didn't even have a stall just that tiny push cart. It was a simple un-powered jig with some type of file or perhaps abrasive rod that did the sharpening. This picture reminded me of her.

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[Pete Taran]

Patrick,

In case you missed it, the Indians are headed to the World Series!!!!! :D

Go Tribe!

OT Content: Indians sometimes made saws out of pieces of knapped flint.

[Patrick Chase]

Patrick,

In case you missed it, the Indians are headed to the World Series!!!!! :D

Go Tribe!

OT Content: Indians sometimes made saws out of pieces of knapped flint.

I was wondering when you'd come back to this. I kind of expected to see this thread revived when the Cubs bounced the Giants out last week :-).

[Patrick Chase]

Patrick,

In case you missed it, the Indians are headed to the World Series!!!!! :D

Go Tribe!

OT Content: Indians sometimes made saws out of pieces of knapped flint.

Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. If it's any reassurance, the statisticians at fivethirtyeight say it wasn't quite as epic a collapse as Billy Buckner and his 86 BoSox.

The Cubs deserved to lose after they wasted Chapman in Game 6 like that, though.

OT Content: Corking a bat requires some hand work (yes, that is a cheap Albert Belle joke).

[Pete Taran]

Patrick,

Touche. I somehow missed the SF Giants in this year's fall classic. Was it perhaps on in a parallel universe?

OT Content: I'm sure corked bats are legal in a parallel universe.

[Patrick Chase]

Touche. I somehow missed the SF Giants in this year's fall classic. Was it perhaps on in a parallel universe?

Yeah, they had the misfortune of meeting the Cubs a couple rounds earlier. Admittedly the Indians hung in there longer.