Bronze saws

[TerryMcK]

I should say Bronze Age Saws!

Well before Lie Nielsen, Bad Axe Tools Works, Disston saws, any of the Sheffield saw makers and indeed long before iron had even been discovered any idea how our ancestors cut wood? They used Bronze.
I was recently in Crete, Greece and visited a museum in Heraklion and stumbled across this exhibit containing bronze age wood working tools.
The saws I guess were around 5 to 6 feet in length and looked around 1/4" thick. The ends had holes bored probably for wooden handles and the saws were intended for 2 man use. The tooth profile appeared to be cross cut without any fleam. Indeed the label with the exhibit also said it was a crosscut saw.
How the profile was cut was anybodies guess as iron hadn't been discovered at that stage.

There were a number of saws all in remarkable condition considering their age which was from around 1700BC - around 3700 years old.

I wonder how many Disston saws will still be around in another 3600 years time.

3 bronze saws

tooth profile

The label showing the age

more teeth profiles

A very long saw that had been folded over
 

[wtnhighlander]

Pretty cool, Terry. I'm sure stones would have been used to cut the teeth, but man, what tedious work!

[Coop]

Those are really neat. Do you suppose that the one that is folded over was used to make grooves and dadoes??

[G S Haydon]

Incredible Terry, nice reminder that we are pretty blessed in terms of tools.

[Tom King]

Thanks for posting the pictures.