Stainless steel tenon saw

[Paddy Roxburgh]

Just browsing ebay and saw this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/w-marples-son ... 235054fa5d
I've never heard of a stainless steel saw before. It certainly looks as if the plate not just the spine is stainless Would it be sharpenable? I know drilling and filing stainless is hard. Was it perhaps a forerunner of the hardpoint stay sharp for longer but not resharpenable?
I'm not interested in buying it, just curious.
Paddy

 

[Corneel]

Maybe for a butcher? Sawing bones?

You can file stainless, just stock up on files before you start.

 

[Scouse]

I'm not interested in buying it, just curious.
Paddy

If you were trying to win the auction would you still have asked the question on here?

As has been pointed out before with regard to ebay listings, a more respecful course of action might be to wait until the auction has closed to ask a question, in order not to advertise the item to a large number of hand tool enthusiasts, potentially inflating the price.

 

[Paddy Roxburgh]

Fair play Scouse. Assuming Corneel is right then it's a good job for the one bidder I didn't ask the question on a butchery forum (if such a thing exists).
Paddy

 

[bugbear]

Fair play Scouse. Assuming Corneel is right then it's a good job for the one bidder I didn't ask the question on a butchery forum (if such a thing exists).
Paddy

I may yet snipe it. Thanks for the heads up.

I hope no one else has noticed it. :-k

BugBear

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Still only one bid.

 

[Rhossydd]

As has been pointed out before with regard to ebay listings, a more respecful course of action might be to wait until the auction has closed to ask a question, in order not to advertise the item to a large number of hand tool enthusiasts, potentially inflating the price.

A silly, one sided attitude. What's wrong with sellers getting the best price for their item ?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

You can argue that one with the mods.

 

[CHJ]

.....A silly, one sided attitude. What's wrong with sellers getting the best price for their item ?

Ignoring the fact that auction sites give no direct contribution of the fees they collect towards the costs of managing the forum in thanks for the additional advertising they get;

Would you deliberately be that altruistic and shout a link out wide to a possibly interested audience of 150-200 (the average forum viewer base at any one time) if it was a member of your household that was bidding for the item?

 

[Rhossydd]

Would you deliberately be that altruistic and shout a link out wide to a possibly interested audience of 150-200 (the average forum viewer base at any one time) if it was a member of your household that was bidding for the item?

That's not the same issue as preventing other people from pointing out interesting items on offer.
It's a nonsensical policy to ban one sales site from being mentioned.

 

[RogerP]

..................
Would you deliberately be that altruistic and shout a link out wide to a possibly interested audience of 150-200 (the average forum viewer base at any one time) if it was a member of your household that was bidding for the item?

.. if a member of your household was selling the item you might.

Seriously, of course I agree, the best thing is only mention closed auctions.

 

[Bedrock]

I bought a 12" s/s tenon saw from a Tony Murley auction a couple of years ago, for £10. The spine is also s/s, but the only inscription is on the blade, hand engraved:-

Made for DBC
by
Richard Mather & Son
Sheffield
Stainless Steel

Given the hand engraving, my first thought was that it was a presentation piece, but it has one of the dullest, uncomfortable beech handle I have used. I showed it to AndyT last year and thought that the DBC might have been the Danish Bacon Company. I had thought that from what I have seen in the local butchers, saws for butchery seem to be frame in design which they use for both flesh and bone.

The saw nuts are also s/s, but the "nuts" are very bulbous, and sit proud of the handle by about 3/16". I have kept the original handle, but replaced it for something more comfortable and less prosaic in black walnut.

It sharpened well, having seemingly be little used, and is now a very usable woodworking saw, whatever it's original purpose.

Mike

 

[Rhossydd]

from what I have seen in the local butchers, saws for butchery seem to be frame in design which they use for both flesh and bone.

Indeed, probably wooden handles would be seen as unhygienic and difficult to clean now, but in the past were probably the only option.

 

[bugbear]

I had thought that from what I have seen in the local butchers, saws for butchery seem to be frame in design which they use for both flesh and bone.

That's current practise, but backsaw styles were also used in the past for butchery.

BugBear

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Well. No snipers.

 

[Paddy Roxburgh]

I wasn't really aware of the etiquette of not posting ebay links, I'll bear it in mind in future. Out of interest Scouse were you bidding on it yourself?

 

[MIGNAL]

That's current practise, but backsaw styles were also used in the past for butchery.

BugBear

Are you referring to all your ww'ing projects BB?

 

[AndyT]

Here's a bit more evidence that stainless steel saws were sold for woodworking.

My own stainless steel tenon saw, in action cutting some yew this afternoon:

It's so shiny that it's hard to photograph well.

I also have a matching handsaw

According to BSSM, these date to about 1930 when stainless steel was still a bit of a novelty. (It was invented in 1913.)
Simon Barley notes that it did not catch on (except in the meat trade) as it is too difficult to work and does not hold an edge well. I just know that these two saws, pretty though they are, are not my favourites to use, though that may be because of my beginner's-level attempts to sharpen them.

They are not for sale.

 

[bugbear]

Those SS saws are in great condition - but I suppose they would be.

BugBear

 

[AndyT]

Those SS saws are in great condition - but I suppose they would be.

BugBear

Yes, I had assumed that they were newer than 1930-ish until I read The Book!