Folks

What got me to thinking was the naming of the saws as having been made  
by William Jackson. Not to be a criticism of Phil, but thinking on how  
we arrive at the naming.

Other possibilities on the Eagle stamp:

1. The eagle stamps were too fragile to use on steel backs
2. The manufacturer supported the Federalist move to independent  
statehood that answered to a central government, with limits.
3. The manufacturer wanted to state that this tool was of US  
manufacture instead of overseas imports (an early Buy American campaign)
4. Some worker had a few too many to drink during lunch and got  
carried away each day, stamping and stamping
5. The eagle stamps looked good so the more the merrier

The Jackson Stamp:

1. The stamp had been used so many times that the cutting edges had  
worn, losing parts of the font serifs as well as creating a thicker  
letter (lettering on stamps usually have a sloped base. As they wear,  
the letter gets thicker and less distinct)
2. Some people stamped 'warranted' and 'cast steel' in one place, and  
some stamped them in others
3. The same drinker had a problem reading after a few too many  
lunchtime mugs
4. The stamper was illiterate and had no idea what looked correct and  
what didn't

Basically, without some hard evidence from the manufacturer, it's all  
guesswork based upon not a whole lot of information. We really want  
something to be unique or of importance, so we pick apart every mark  
and part in hopes of assigning meaning. But our assumptions really  
don't have much basis in fact unless we can prove them somehow. For  
all we know, a single Star on a saw medallion might refer to the  
maker's first born.

Gary

Gary Roberts
toolemera@m...
http://toolemerablog.typepad.com/
http://toolemera.com/

On Feb 16, 2008, at 1:30 AM, T&J Holloway wrote:

Thanks for providing some of the missing information, Wiktor.  I was  
just bouncing off
Gary Roberts' original posting on the article, which--as I said--I had  
not seen.  The
only Jackson saws I knew about were the Disston-made second line.
	Tom Holloway,
thinking Pete might have an even better recollection of the One Son  
Disston ripsaw
he sharpened in the same batch, both picked up at Bill Gustafson's rib  
BBQ the
evening before the regional MWTCA meet at Hancock Shaker Village.

On Feb 15, 2008, at 6:27 PM, Wiktor A. Kuc wrote:
> This discussion needs a bit of clarification in my view.  It is  
> based on
> incomplete information and assumption that is based on that incomplete
> information.
>
> In aforementioned article Philip Baker talks about two different  
> Jackson
> saws.  One of them is Disston saw, branded Jackson.  The other are a  
> few
> saws made by William Jackson of Monroe, NY.  There is no dispute in  
> Phil's
> article that Disston's Jackson was lower grade and common saw.  The  
> saws
> with Eagle stamps on the spine are the saws made by Jackson of  
> Monroe and to
> these saws Phil refers as higher grade saws.  Both saws, Disston's  
> and W.
> Jackson's had similar, but not identical stamp on the spine - Jackson.

> Galoots,
>
> As Tom writes below, this sort of rationale doesn't make much  
> sense.  I love
> Phil to death, but it seems that sometimes he looks for meanings  
> where the
> only meaning is there is no meaning.
>
> And Tom, believe it or not, last century of not, I do remember that  
> saw.
>
> Pete (who's planning to come to PATINA this year)
>
> Tom Wrote:
>
> I haven't seen the article you cite, but here are a couple of quick  
> and
> informal reactions:
>        1)  Since Jackson was a second-tier brand name made by  
> Disston, any
> deliberate use of the eagle would be a Disston decision, not  
> necessarily
> generic to the world of saws at the time.  But if Jackson was below  
> Disston
> in the company's branding policies, why would there be the need to  
> indicate
> "better quality" Jackson saws?
>
> 
>
>        My Jackson backsaw (sharpened for me by Pete Taran back in the
> latter years of the 20th century--driveby gloat) has a keystone  
> outlined in
> the medallion nut, surrounded by tiny beads but with no
> text or other symbols.  On the steel back is stamped         JACKSON
> WARRANTED CAST STEEL USA in three lines, with no other symbols.
> There is no discernible etch on the blade.
>                Tom Holloway,
>
>
>
> --
> Peter Taran
> Vintage Saws on the web at:
> http://www.vintagesaws.com

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