This article previously appeared in The Gristmill, No. 81 December 1995

Woodrough and McParlin Panther Brand Saws

William Rigler
3/24/97

Patent Drawing

About a dozen years ago, I wrote an article for The Gristmill trying to get a census of how many of this brand of saws are in the hands of our membership. At the time we had a count of 25 saws.

On one of the saw handles there is a circle stamp that you can read: “PAT”. Turning to that great investigator of Cincinnati patented tools, Gil Gandenberger, who, of course came up with the Design Patent No. 11603, Patented Jan. 13, 1880

Knowing that John Kinnemeyer has a Panther handsaw, Gil called him and John verified the circle stamp and date. Gil then found the Patent papers. The design is issued to James R. Woodrough, Cincinnati, OH, and assigned to Woodrough and McParlin.

 

 

Text of the Patent

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES R. WOODROUGH, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO WOODROUGH & McPARLIN, OF SAME PLACE. DESIGN FOR SAW-HANDLES. SPECIFICATION forming part of Design No. 11,603, dated January 13, 1880. Application filed October 22, 1879. Term of patent 7 years. To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, James R. Woodrough, of Cincinnati, Hamilton county, Ohio, have originated and designed a new Pattern for Handsaw- Handles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying d rawing, making a part of this specification. My design consists in the application of an ornamental head to the front end of a saw-handle, &c. I prefer to carve the head from the same piece of which the handle is constructed; but it may be made of a separate piece of wood or metal and attached to the handle, should the manufacturer so desire, and still fall within the scope of my design. What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is — A design for handsaw-handles, consisting of the ordinary form of handle, its front end being provided with an ornamental head projecting from said front end over the blade of the saw, substantially as shown. JAS. R. WOODROUGH. Attest: JNO. W. STREHLI, E. H. FOSTER.

 

The paragraph of the patent text that becomes intriguing to me is “I prefer to carve the head from the same piece of which the handle is constructed but it maybe made of a separate piece of wood or metal and attached to the handle, should the manufactu re so desire, and still fall within the scope of my design.”

Since we have had a significant increase in membership since the publication of the first article I would like to ask a question:

Does anyone have a panther saw where the head is made of wood or metal and attached to the handle?