Barnacle Bill Magazine March 2016 issue 3 | Page 38

38

The
Bosun’s Mate
Left: a tenon saw is a western backsaw. This type of
saw is almost entirely only
found in the English speaking world. The early industrialisation of Great Britain resulted in designs that
were mostly made of steel
and which could be affordably mass produced using
machine tools

Right: mainland Europe was later
to industrialise and retained the
ancient bow saw design, a simple,
cheap to make and effective design. These saws are still ubiquitous across the world outside the
Anglosphere and are useful additions to any boat builder’s tool
box. They are relatively easy to
make if desired.

Below: a Gentleman’s saw, this small backsaw is designed for delicate
work and has very small teeth.. Unusually for a western type saw it has
a straight, turned handle.