Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
BRU.18.85 |
Object Name |
Wrest, Saw |
Description |
A saw wrest tool made of all metal. At the head, a set of 6 key-shaped holes, decreasing in size from one end to the other. |
Year Range from |
1800 |
Year Range to |
1900 |
Dimensions |
H-0.8 W-2.5 L-19.7 cm |
History |
For a saw to function correctly, the blade at the cutting edge of a saw is made slightly wider by bending every other tooth outward away from the centre of the blade. This bending is accomplished with a saw set. Wrest sets, such as the item pictured, were the earliest types of saw sets. The slots found on the wrest are of various thicknesses for different saw blades. To use it, the user would have to hook each sawtooth into the slot and bend the tooth whichever way is required. Though simple, wrest sets were very tedious to use even by the most experienced individuals. The wrest belonged to John Gordon Cameron and was found in his carpenter's chest. Cameron was a builder by trade and lived in Toronto. The item was donated by Cameron's great-granddaughter who lived in Port Credit. It was one of the first items acquired to be used on display and for programming at the Lewis Bradley Museum. Reference: Vintage Saws Library https://www.vintagesaws.com/library/library.html References: www.vintagesaws.com/library/ftj/spring97/spring97.htm |