Civil War Bone saw ?

[Civil War Geek]

This saw looks very similar to the ones used during the Civil War. But they usually had rivets in the handle, not brass screws. I would be interested in anyone's opinion on the age of this saw.

 

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[releventchair]

Early nineteen twenties?

Note the blade used as a knife on one side and saw on the other.
Too ,in the link I'll put up ,note that saws for amputation are preferred with a stout spine to avoid bending and allowing a clean straight cut.
A neat old piece you have regardless.
My guess would lean towards a butcher use saw.
ALEX PECK MEDICAL COLLECTING ALERTS, P. 1

 

[diggummup]

Looks like a Disston. However, it's not a medical bone saw knife. It's for general kitchen use. Disston just lists it as a saw knife, but it is in the meat saw section in their 1918 catalog. This type of Saw Knife was first made and patented by W. Stillman who according to the Book "Handsaw makers of North America" was around in the late 1830's. In volume IV of the Civil war Collectors Encyclopedia page 122 they show one similar made by E.M Boynton and stamped US and which they identify as a US medical dept. bone saw. Boynton according to the above book, made saws from 1869-87 so that negates the mention in the book of being used in the Civil war.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Very good factual information from Releventchair and Diggumup. Particularly important for a surgical saw to have an added rod-or-bar-shaped reinforcing "spine" on the top of the blade, to prevent it from flexing/wavering when sawing through human bone. Butcher saws don't need to have a "spine."

It's true that some saw-knives (as the Disston Saw catalog calls them) have been found with the initials "US" embossed into the wooden handle. They were purchased by the US Army for the beef-butchers in the Quartermaster Corps... not for the Medical Corps.

I was going to provide a link to the saw-knife on the Medical Collecting fakes/frauds website, but Releventchair already did that. It's important enough that a repeat is worthwhile.
ALEX PECK MEDICAL COLLECTING ALERTS, P. 1
The butcher's saw-knife is at almost the very bottom of that webpage.

 

[gunsil]

I see these all the time at gun shows, ebay, and even at CW shows occasionally, but Rel and Dig are correct. Kind of like all the 1920s letter openers advertised as gambler's or prostitute's knives.

 

[submariner]

I am always amazed at the knowledge you folks possess.