Talk:Fretsaw

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I think of all the unpowered and powered curve capable cutting implements, ie Jigsaw, Scrollsaw, Fretsaw, SabreSaw etc etc, everyone calls one the other. For example many people incorrectly call Scroll Saws Fretsaw - yet technically they are correct. - and the scroll saw was more commonly called a Jigsaw at one stage. Another thing to throw in the mix is that the unpowered terminology for each of the Jigsaw, Sabre Saw and Fretsaw are all distinct, yet are again mixed and matched all over the shot. - I think making room for the fact that each should be titled in thier most absolute form, eg Unpowered Sabre Saw and Powered Sabre saw, with a disambiguity page directing the user to either which when they link from Sabre saw.Erlyrisa 08:36, 18 October 2006 (UTC)

ERLYRISA says: Wondering if there should be anymore info on what came first - the Fretsaw or the Coping saw, and maybe some history on the words themselves.

I presume the fretsaw came first (There are many ancient examples of it, all the way back to Egyptian Times) and the coping saw is a modern product fashioned from metal and smaller (probably firstly designed small as a practical handymans tool instead of a niche fretworkers tool).

History of the words, I have some Idea of,

Coping - german, De Copier (spelling is probably wrong) - meaning, I think to copy.

Fretsaw - from fretwork, to Fret - french and or nordic influence.

As far as I can remember, usage varies on country and region. I'm pretty sure in England it used to be called a Fretsaw, and in the USA a coping saw. --ArmadilloFromHell 05:39, 18 October 2006 (UTC)

No - as usual you americans get lazy with your naming conventions (no harm intended) - I just had a long argument about Reciprocating Saw - where everyone seems to consider it a particular style of saw and not just the description of a mechanical actuation upon a Saw Blade., the same is happening here - nearly no-one even now know what a fretsaw is - mainly because your local hardware store only sells coping saws. -The fretsaw is an older tool, before the modern coping saw, the only reason the coping saw has it's name today in the anglo world is because the Germans mass manufactured them and Called them as such. (of course citation needed), the Fretsaw on the other hand was made usually by the carpenter themselves (including the blade) - I had a picture of one a while ago - google antique Fretsaw - you'll know what I mean, I just can't use a Picture -coz of copyright, and I don't have a fretsaw. (Although you can still buy fretsaws today - and they are distinct in that they have a larger A frame vs the coping saw)