Hand Saw Makers of North America

In 1999 Erwin (Erv) Shaffer wrote a groundbreaking work which sought to list all known saw makers which operated in North America from the 18th Century to the present time. The book was very popular and became an instant hit as it listed hundreds of previously unknown or obscure makers with location and dates of operation. This book became invaluable in the study of saws and saw makers in the old tool community.

The book has been out of print for many years but is still much sought after by collectors and tool dealers alike. The publisher, The Osage Press, has decided to publish a second edition of this book but at the same time would like to add to it new examples of previously unknown makers not present in the first edition.

To accomplish this, we offer this page to allow you to communicate directly with the publisher examples of your saws which are not noted in the book. Please visit the contact area immediately below to load your images and information about the saw you would like added to the new edition.

We will attribute all examples in the book to the contributor who submitted them. Be sure to visit our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page to see what a complete submission looks like.

Unknown Saw Maker Submission Form

Select the type of saw you have
Select the tooth profile of the saw you have, Cross Cut or Rip
Selected Value: 3
Adjust the slider to reflect the number of points in one inch of tooth line. Rip Saws often have 1/2 point values. This number can often be found stamped on the blade under the handle.
Enter the length of the blade in inches
Enter the name of the maker as shown on the blade etch or as stamped in the back saw spine. If you can't make it out, use unknown. If you can make out a partial entry, supply what you can.
Enter the model number. This is almost always etched on the blade in the center of the etch.
Enter the location of the maker as shown on the blade etch or backsaw spine. Be as complete as possible and include City and State if possible.
Click or drag a file to this area to upload.
Please provide a picture of the overall saw as shown from the left or medallion side. The file must be less than 3 MB in size.
Click or drag a file to this area to upload.
Please provide a picture of the saw handle as seen from the left or medallion side. The file must be less than 3 MB in size.
Click or drag a file to this area to upload.
Please provide a picture of a close up of the etch if a handsaw or the spine stamp and etch if a backsaw. The file must be less than 3 Mb in size.
Please enter any comments you might have about your saw in addition to the information you have already provided.