Clemson Bros Quick-Release Hacksaw

[Placeholder17]

Just found this in the local thrift store tonight...Clemson Bros quick-release hacksaw.

Tensioned by a lever, not a screw. The lever is spring steel and can be popped out of its pin slot by hand, then the arm slides to the next hole to change from 10" blades to 12" blades.

The front arm is solid steel, the back pivoting arm is as well, and the grip/main body is sheet steel but the cavity is filled with what looks like zinc, so it's rigid when tightened.

It has pins to rotate the blade roughly 90 degrees at the ends of the arms as well.

My go-to rigid hacksaw to date is one of the pipe-arm Easco's with the independent little aluminum back arm that looks like it's going to snap off when you tighten it, but I'll happily swap to this new one.

The box also included a little keyhole saw with a completely stripped blade.

 

[CJM8515]

holy ****! I have the same exact saw from my grandfather and LOVE it. it is the easiest design to change blades I have ever used.

 

[four.cycle]

Thank you.

Clemson Bros. Inc., Middletown, NY / originally Wheeler Madsen and Clemson Mfg. Co. / est. 1853 / "Star" saws / TM 50640 Mar 27 1906 first use Aug 1873 / patent 104830 Jun 28 1870 William Clemson & 601947 Apr 5 1898 & 603128 Apr 26 1898 George N. Clemson & 1967020 Jul 17 1934 Richard W. Canfield & 2308354 Jan 12 1943 Richard D. Clemson / https://wrenchwiki.com/wheeler-madden-clemson/ / https://mycompanies.fandom.com/wiki/Wheeler,_Madden_&_Clemson_Manufacturing_Company / http://www.backsaw.net/ / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/vintage-back-saw-and-hand-planes.495886/ / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/clemson-bros-quick-release-hacksaw.553223/ see also Massachusetts Saw Works, see also Victor Saw Works /

The "Star" moniker was used by Clemson beginning in 1873.

 

[d42jeep]

I found this Star hacksaw No.20 at a yard sale today. I haven’t yet figured out how to adjust for changing the blade length.
-Don

I found another Star hacksaw today that I can use one of my spare blades on.
-Don

I posted my two finds above on the hacksaw thread.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ where'd you find the 10-inch blades, Don? garage sale?

 

[d42jeep]

I spotted them on eBay. Since the first saw was wasn’t adjustable, the 10” blades were the correct length.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ I called down to Superior Saw and asked them about 10-inch blades and they thought I was nuts.
I guess they're just not made any more.... so anything out there is new old stock.

 

[d42jeep]

I’ve got plenty if you need any.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

* Shoot me one next time you send a package... it'll fit nicely in that old "Union" I picked up a couple weeks ago, which appears to be cleaning up nicely. It's got a brass ferrule down at the end of the business end of the wooden handle that has a split in it. Not sure if that's original? I've doped it up good with BLO and am wondering if that will be enough to prevent that split edge from peeling up later in use. (Not that the odds of it ever being used are good, but still... )

 

[four.cycle]

Clemson Bros., Middletown, New York
1916 J.M. Warren & Co. catalog Clemson Bros. Millers Falls Goodell Pratt ad pp 35

1918 Shapleigh Hardware Co. catalog Bridge Clemson Bros. Diamond Edge Disston ad pp 142

1921 Canadian Machinery Clemson Bros. ad pp 25

1924 Hardware Buyers Catalog Clemson Bros. Star ad pp 593

1927 Clemson Bros. ad pp

1939 Hardware Age Baker McMillen Clemson Bros Sands Schollhorn Vaughan ad pp 91

1944 Hardware Retailer Clemson Bros Utica ad pp 102

 

[four.cycle]

Clemson Bros., Middletown, New York

1946 Hardware Age Clemson Bros ad pp 150

1947 Hardware Retailer Clemson Bros. ad pp 12

1960 Hardware Retailer Clemson Bros. ad pp 563

 

[ararat]

I have a box of 12" blades
No saw though

 

[four.cycle]

^ As noted in tiny print on the face of that fabulous metal box, George N. Clemson held two different patents for hacksaw blades:
601947 issued Apr 5 1898 and 603128 issued Apr 26 1898. They manufactured a variety of different types of blades, packaged in mult-colored lithographed boxes which have become collector items:

 

[Placeholder17]

It'd hard to realize how much electrical power has done for construction efficiency until seeing that deep "Rail hacksaw" advertised for cutting rails and I-beams.

 

[d42jeep]

I passed on another Star hacksaw at an estate sale today since it was a duplicate of one I already have, right down to the worn handle.
-Don