Oh George, Please forgive me. She was just too tempting.

[Ron Bontz]

I tried. Oh, how I tried. But I just could not resist the gentle curves of her form flowing from one side to the other. Such a gilded Lilly. Her 17 ppi sliced right through to the full depth of her spine and the 0.024" width of her kerf right into the oak of my heart. Alas, I am doomed to the engravings of Catherine. DCP_1636.jpgDCP_1637.jpgDCP_1638.jpgDCP_1639.jpg

[george wilson]

Say 3 Hail Marys.

You are really making great saws,Ron. How did you get your name on the brass back? Are you doing some kind of etching process? I really like the handle.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

As eyecatching as the detail on the front is, I'm more captured by the handle - the curves look spot on to my untrained eye, and seem to echo the comfort I find in my favorite plane handles, with no real flats and that comfortable elliptical cross section. Just looks really well executed and comfortable . . .

[Ron Bontz]

Hi George. I thought you might appreciate a little humor. The handle started out life as a defective handle of Madrone Burl. I was making some saws for a very generous person, who supplied the burl and then some. The slit saw had deflected inside and I didn't detect it until I milled the mortice. Usually I throw those away as they are hard to repair well. But this wood was just too pretty so I carefully sliced and epoxied a section in and re cut. I got lucky and the glue did not grab the cutter. Catherine Kennedy engraved it for me. She did a very nice job. My name was machine engraved the way I do all my saws. I don't really care for the stamps. As far as the handle... I was experimenting with handles and the same gentleman sent me a couple of handle shapes for the hang angle he liked and we went from there. In effect we were designing his handle. I don't care for the flats found on most saw handles so I increased the thickness and use a full radius. I have been tweaking my handles ever since. Some day I might get there.

[Jim Neeley]

Ron,

That full radius adds awesome visual appeal!! I suspect it'd better fit my big ol' paw, too..

[Chris Vandiver]

That's some curvy back saw.

[george wilson]

I think you are doing fine,Ron. Are you selling these saws? What would one cost?

[Jim Matthews]

Ron's saws have always been eye catchers.

His sharpening skills have caught up to his design sensibility.
We should worry, this is how Bridge City tools started...

[Ron Bontz]

Thank you, Jim. I am flattered.
George. I have a web site. BontzSawWorks.net (under construction). The gilded lilly would be around $300.00 to $400.00. There doesn't appear to be much out there to compare it to. I hope to offer the MOP as well as custom engraving as an option. Much to learn. So we will see as time goes.