With apologies to the artist, when this saw arrives in the mail, the birds are going to have to find a new roost...
[OP]
Member
With apologies to the artist, when this saw arrives in the mail, the birds are going to have to find a new roost...
Member
John Speyers? Anyone know how to date that? If that was a Disston that was inset like that, it would be what - 1870s or earlier? Gah.
Where did I put that tape measure...
[OP]
Member
It's John Spears of Spears & Jackson fame. From what I've found online, it dates somewhere around 1812-24...
The painting looks late 20th century.
Member
I could almost tolerate the painting but the picture hanger is just plain WRONG! I'm happy they didn't manage to split the handle and I hope the saw cleans up well for you.
Rodney
Member
I would like to find out which incompetent interior designer invented "shabby chic"
so I could kick their flabby cheeks.
Member
JimOriginally Posted by Jim Matthews
I agree and let me add the interior designer's to the list that think it is ok to paint oak, cherry, and mahogany moldings and cabinets. Some people do not know fine wood nor have they been taught to appreciate the beauty in the hues and grain of wood. If they want to paint it then they should use something like poplar.
Ed
Some claim to want to give a hearing to other views, but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are other views.
William F, Buckley, Jr.
Contributor
I agree. All you have to do is throw the monikers "VINTAGE" or "ANTIQUE" on something and it instantly becomes a decorating piece that people will pay 10x the worth for just so they can have a look that says "I shop at a trash heap!"
@Ed> Agree with that. I told my wife if she paints anything other than beech, ash, poplar, or pine when I make something, she's going to need to invest in some splints for her broken fingers.
The Barefoot Woodworker.
Fueled by leather, chrome, and thunder.
Contributor
I hate to admit there is a painted saw hanging in my shop. It came my way via my father's estate. I had bought it for him many years ago. It is actually a 1950s or 60s saw that got painted. Now my thought is it is possibly worth more as a painting than as a saw. Though, one of my firewood saws is a late model Disston.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Guest
At least you are innocent in the crime Jim, it's there, you didn't do it, you weren't part of it...
... my mother has saws that are painted.....she did it to them.
I've seen it occurring, but I didn't know at the time it was wrong.She sold all of those paintings, I have no clue if any of the saws were any good - some probably were.
There was a guy at the silver spring flea market in williams grove, pa (I think that's where it was), maybe he's still there. He's got a barrel of saws every time he's there, for $2 or $3. I know a lot of those got painted by my mother and sold off. My dad's M.O. was to go to that bucket when his miter box saw was dull and find the sharpest one in there that was big enough to fit in his miter box. If a miter box saw became dull, then it got set aside... and painted. Last year, one of the candidates was a perfect shape simonds saw 27 inches long and about 5 inches deep. I relieved them of that one and gave my dad the $3 he paid for it. It was almost freshly sharp. It would be terrible to see a scene painted on it in folk art only to see it get sold for $30 when there are so many beat rusty saws with broken teeth that can fill that role. (i had to sharpen the saw that he had dulled, though, since I took his new "sharp" one away).
Member
David,at least you didn't have to suffer through the atrocious cookie jars my mother glazed from slip castings at the hobby shop!! Your mother's saws might have looked good compared to the taste of the designs and colors of those cookie jars!!
Guest
The one thing I can say about what my mother does...she makes money at it and she likes to do it. I'm sure a lot of the saw painters did (not that my mother doesn't paint other stuff), but the folk art thing is not my taste at all! A show of the stuff would horrify board members, so I'll keep it to myself.
Fortunately, I grew up in an era where you didn't get popped or backhanded for giving my honest opinion about items. My mother's comment about the kind of stuff we make is "looks fiddly..tedious...can you make any money doing that?". And when I was little, she would always ask what I thought of what she was painting, and I would always say "you know I don't like any of it, why do you want me to answer that?" That would always get a frown!!
Did you keep any of the cookie jars? My mother slips painted pans and stuff into my house through my wife. You can't really ever get away from it, but at least I can find some good stuff from time to time in her not-yet-painted junk pile, including saws and cast iron pans and stuff that came in auction lots.
Last edited by David Weaver; 12-31-2012 at 1:39 PM.
Member
I tossed them all. At least my wife did!!
Member
Well at least the raw canvas is lovely!
Steve, mostly hand tools. Click on my name above and click on "Visit Homepage" to see my woodworking blog.
Member
Michael:
That looks like a saw that may be worth some $$ - I trust you won't be using an angle grinder to get rid of the birds!!
Post some pics and more info if you get it.
HAPPY NEW YEARS BTW everyone -
Dave B
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