Todd Friberg has begun a renaissance in the old tools publishing world by focusing on saws and saw related books. Operating the Osage Press for a number of years, Todd has a soft spot for saws and saw related technology. In addition to publishing the two books above, he has also recently published the second edition of his own capstone book Patented American Saw Sets.

Weighing in at 306 pages, Patented American Saw Sets is jam packed with information about every known saw set maker who made saw sets in North America. The book opens with a short introduction followed by a discussion of the function of the saw set. Following that is 15 page treatise on the various general types of saw sets, complete with illustrations. Next in line is a review of the various offerings of the major saw set makers operating from 1812-1925.

Following is the heart of the book with a table which lists each saw set maker known complete with patent number and date of patent, relative rarity and location of operation. Immediately following is 241 pages of detailed patent drawings. I found the drawings and illustrations to be fascinating and enjoyed the annotations on the drawings. Clear to read and concise, the table and associated drawings combined make a fabulous reference for anyone interested in saw sets or saw set technology.

In short, no serious student or collector of saw sets should be without this book. You never know when you will stumble across a previously unknown maker. If you do, the author, Todd Friberg, receives with great interest any new information that he is compiling for future revisions of the book. You can contact him directly with such information.