I do not know why the term 'Gent' is used here. It is a
straight handled brass or steel backed saw of small dimensions. I
presume the 'Dovetail' term stems from the suitability of them
for cutting fine dovetails.
I have several examples varying in size from
20 mm x 100 mm blade size up to
44 mm x 220 mm.
The small sizes with very thin blades, often called razor saws, are
usually sharpened so that they cut on the pull stroke. Razor saws are
commonly used for aero modeling, but I have used then on occasions for fine
detailed work on complicated types of bee frame.
The brass backed gent saw in the photograph below was added to my toolkit
about 1961 and has had considerable use, being re-sharpened and re-set many
times. The razor saws are so finely toothed that they are not considered as
re-sharpenable. The blade portion can be replaced as the handle has a collet
that will grip the extension of the backbone.
The larger gent saws were originally supplied to cut on the forward
stroke, but I have re sharpened mine with fleam teeth to cut equally
on both strokes.
The Gent Saw would more often be found among a cabinet maker's toolkit
than in a carpenter's toolbox.
Written... Summer 2001,
Revised... 01 May 2002,
New Domain... 16 May 2004,
Upgraded... 14 August 2004,
