Model dovetail saw handle

[Jeff Wittrock]

Thanks all for the feedback. I really appreciate it.

Well, you know, when you cut off the lambs tongue, you will have the perfect dovetailsaw....

I know what you are saying. As I look at different handles (both closed and open) and try to pick out details that I like and discard ones that I don't there is always the danger that what I come up with is something of a mongrel that should never have been. I guess that's the nature of experimenting vs. reproduction and something I struggle with.

...The main difference with the LN is the latter has a central "hump", while ours is more of a triangle. This is my understanding ...

Almost every person I asked said that the LN saws felt heavier. They could not put their finger on why - but a few got it, that is, that the thicker lower end of the handle effectively pushed the hand up into the underside of the horn. This takes the weight of the saw back, and adds more control. Hence the feeling that the saw was lighter and the LN heavier.

One person said that this was the same design intention behind the Colt Peacemaker revolver. I know nothing about guns and nothing about Colts, so others can comment here. It was explained to me that Samuel Colt designed the handle this way to relax the pressure on the trigger finger....
Derek

Thanks for the observations Derek. This is something I had not really thought about. I wonder if it might also have something to do with how far down the handle is primarily contacting your hand as well. In other words, if you imagine the web of your hand and second finger being a fulcrum point and the farther down the handle the other contact point is, the lower pressure it would feel like it was delivering to your hand. The "hump" on the LN being closer to the fulcrum than the lower contact point as on the saw handles you have?
By the way, those are lovely saws you have made.

Beautifully executed work. How do they perform in use?

I wish I could say how my saw performs at this point, but unfortunately she has no teeth. I guess that reveals my backwards approach to doing things. I'm more worried about making a good handle than a good saw

Thanks again to all for the comments.

[Jeff Wittrock]

Finally decided to call it quits with this saw. Filed the teeth at 16tpi and finished the handle with tung oil and wax.
Lots of mistakes, but it is nice to have my first dovetail saw, and I think I learned a few things along the way. Can't ask for much more.

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[Chris Griggs]

A great saw. It's sure to become a favorite.

[george wilson]

Jeff,your handle looks good,but you may find that the long,thin lamb's tongue will get broken when you run the saw too far forward into the wood. Then,you can just convert it into an open handle.

[Russ Webb]

The hard part was making the slit steel back.

A can of wd-40, a hack saw with the set ground off and a piece of 1/4" steel.
Ah... good times... but is there an easier way?
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You have my deepest respect for doing it this way and most importantly for making it work. That was a job I would not tackle and would not do well.

Congrats!