Guys,
I really love old tools that were (or could have been) used in an 18th c. gunsmith shop. Here is a nice old bow saw that I feel certain was used in the Jacob Dickert shop!
A rather small bow saw with a simple center bar that was obviously hand whittled from hickory. Over the years the end braces have taken a set which was fixed by the smith adding two wooden washers behind the tension screw, you can see the bend in the left side brace. Speaking of the tension screw: I am often asked to give my opinion on "is this really original and old, or is it new and made to appear original and old. One thing I try to check is the thread size and form. If the thread is exactly an 8-32, it shows a new made part that has been "aged". On this saw the tension screw is 0.193 - 23 tpi, so I feel sure it is really original and old.
Jim
