The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-03-16
The Fret Saw.
THarper's Magazine for March. /

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The fret or Gig" saw is an old ant
well-known tool in cabinet-making, anC
a familiar example of its work is tn,
music rack of the piano or the reed or
gan. Small saws, fabricated sometime.
from watch springs, are favorite too
Tor conoealment in the prisoners Loaf
and have cut way for escape through
many window bars. Fastened by clamps
to the ends of a small U-shaped frame
very fine saws were long almost exclu
sively the possession of jewellers, dentists
and similar craftsmen; but at last theil
adaptability to ornamental work was
discovered. The town of Sorrento, Italy
was the earliest, or one of the earliest, &c
make this adaptation TO wider uses thar
the scroll work of the cabinet-maker
and gave its name to the new art. A
few persons of taste and leisure, length.
ening the arms of the jewelers. bow
frame, amused themselves by making
this open cut or Sorrento work, and
there are now many French and Ger
man designs in the market, which are, as
class, inferior to the American.
The first practical and efficient ma.
chine Tor saving originated in this coun-
try, as did the sewing-machine, and the
art came swiftly into vogue here. In
five years over 5000 foot-power machines
of single pattern, costing nearly one
half as much as sewing machine, have
been sold, and more than 1,e00 of a
cheaper pattern were taken in its first
season; of still cheaper and nearly
worthless wooden article some 5000 have
also been sold. 1t is impossible to as
certain how many hand frames have
been sold, but the most competent
authority estimates that from $4,000 to
$4,000 have been disposed of in this
country alone during the last four years
The Centennial gave the business great
push. Nothing in the exhibition of
mechanical process in Machinery Hall
had such constant crowd of observers
as one of these sawing-machines and of
little inlaid vase of holly and walnut,
5000 were sold as souvenirs to visitors
who saw them made. The manufacture
ers, who supposed that few years
would exhaust the demand, and there
fore held themselves IN readiness to d.
rect their industry to some other work
whenever necessary, have been sur
prised by finding the demand steadily
increase, and the popularity of the new
occupation shows no signs of wearing
out. The sales of imported saw blades
are immense, and the makers along the
Rhine have been taxed beyond their
capacity to supply the demand from
this country alone. The consumption
can only be vaguely estimated, but there
are several firms who dispose Of some
10000 blades monthly during the cooler
half of the year, and the total sales in
the United States are probably not les
than 100000 blades month. There are
already three volumes on this subject
published in this country, large num-
Der of books of designs, and an indefinite
quantity of designs in sheets; the art
has also its regular organs in periodicals.
The saw blade itself has undergone no
change. The finest blades have teeth
scarcely visible to the eye; none Of them
has any set," and they are never
sharpened, their natural end being
breakage. Their smallness is not so re-
markabIe as that of watch screws, some
of which to the unaided eye show
neither head nor thread; but they are
marvels of cheapness. They are hand
made, every tooth requiring light but
separate stroke of file; yet the saw
maker makes from 100 to 400 teeth for
considerably less than half cent This
is cheap labor" although All Sin does
not supply it. The saws are made in the
Rhine country, where children begin
work at home at tender age, and living
is matter of few simple necessaries