Vintage hand saw medallions

The medallions on Disston handsaws changed more over time than any other feature on the saw.

Handsaw medallions, also known as label screws, come in many different forms. My Saw Medallion Reference Guide shows images of over different saw medallions from eight different countries. The most striking thing about medallions is the cast, stamped, or engraved images they display. Many saw medallions could be considered small works of art. While the images on medallions cover a broad range of subjects, many include animals.

Vintage hand saw medallions

This article was first published in , and revised countless times through Some of it should be considered flawed interpretation of data, reflecting what was the best that could be done at the time. For the most accurate timeline of Disston saw medallions, consult the second edition of this article. The medallions on Disston handsaws changed more over time than any other feature on the saw. By using the medallion, you can estimate the age of your saw. The Medallions and Timeline of Saw Manufacture This medallion from a handsaw is different from those above and below it in that it is from a full-sized saw. It measures approximately one inch in diameter. Its detail is remarkable and the condition is the best that is to be found. The left medallion, from an 's No. It may not be the earliest example of a Disston medallion, but it's close to it. It appears identical to the medallion at the top of the page, which is on a backsaw from the same period. Note the eagle's head is pointed upward. Medallions after the 's had less "optimistic" eagles. The right medallion started appearing in

It was manufactured while he was touring the plant.

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Handsaw medallions, also known as label screws, come in many different forms. My Saw Medallion Reference Guide shows images of over different saw medallions from eight different countries. The most striking thing about medallions is the cast, stamped, or engraved images they display. Many saw medallions could be considered small works of art. While the images on medallions cover a broad range of subjects, many include animals. As a retired wildlife biologist, the images of animals on saw medallions naturally draw my attention. As one might expect, the animals displayed on medallions are often fierce, swift, or sharp-toothed. By using these images, the saw maker conveys an unspoken message that his saw will be sharp and cut quickly. Sometimes, however, the animals shown on saw medallions are of the fat, slow, meek, or even slimy variety. Nothing is more American than the eagle.

Vintage hand saw medallions

Why do you want an antique hand saw? For decoration or function? This primitive tool, an intricate part of history, is a staple in the flea market.

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Some from the late 's are downright crude, like the two below. Saws produced by the British maker Taylor Brothers bore an image of perhaps the meekest of all animals, the paschal lamb. British saws made by Robert Sorby displayed a kangaroo image. Two medallions, one from a full sized saw, the other from a backsaw. The eagle is the same design as the one below it, except it is the mirror image. Stars appear on either side of the eagle. This and later medallions also have a larger letter "A" at the end of word "Philad'a" than on earlier saws. Another medallion from either the late 's or 's. Another change is in the order and dating of several of the pre-Civil War medallions. Feel like an expert if you can narrow the age of a saw to within a decade in the field. Three younger brothers: Horace, William, and Jacob, eventually worked for the company as well. This changed with the introduction of the new-style saw nuts in the mid's.

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The split-nut or spanner style of fastner is about to be phased out. The differences between the 's and 's eagle medallions are small and probably not reliable for narrowing the date of the saw to one decade or the other. British, American, and German medallions displaying a lion image. This medallion has its perimeter flush with the handle's surface, like all that precede it, but the lettering and design of the keystone and scale are identical to the unique "Choice" saw medallion shown below. I don't have information to further pinpoint the date. This article was first published in , and revised countless times through By the end of , the factory employed 65 men. This has brought many saws to the eyes of collectors for the first time, but has also pointed out there are far too many saws with medallions that were thought to be made in the 's. The oldest Disston saws seem to be the few that exist with no medallion. This progression of design and the introduction of medallions sometime near the middle of that decade give evidence of which medallions were the earliest. I assume the connection here is that beavers, like saws, use their teeth to cut wood. The ring of dots around the perimeter of the medallion is gone as well.