Images(2)

Compass or Keyhole Saw

Date1650-1750

OriginAmerica or England

MediumSteel, iron, and wood

DimensionsOverall: 3 9/16 × 22 1/2 × 1 in (9 × 57.2 × 2.5cm)
Blade:16 11/16" x 1 1/16"

Credit LineBequest of Stephen C. Wolcott

Object number1936-1933 (W)

DescriptionLong-bladed saw with open handle held on by two iron bolts secured by decoratively filed nuts. Blade widens dramatically at the base to meet the profile of the handle's pad. Spine of the blade is very narrow and the cutting edge is very thick. Teeth are un-set and unevenly cut.Label TextSaws with long narrow blades were meant to make cuts in the middle of a piece of wood by opening up a drilled hole. Its teeth are fine at its narrow tip for working small holes and coarse towards its broad base for faster broader cuts, making this a very versatile saw.ProvenanceFrom the collection of Stephen C. Wolcott (1876-1934) of Gloucester, Virginia.