Objects Database

Snow saw in homemade plastic cover

Accession Number

992.2012.1(a-b)

Object Name

Snow saw in homemade plastic cover

Created

01/08/2012

Creator

Hermione Cooper

Accession Date

01/08/2012

Brief Description

Saw with wooden handle inside homemade plastic cover with orange day glow strip.

Materials

wood, metal, plastic

Dimensions

Blade 48(l) x 7.5(w) cms

Number Of Objects

1

Inscription Description

"Røa Jernvarefabrikk"

Colour

saw-silver,brown cover - white, orange

Object Production Place

Norway

Provenance

The Inuit people of North America have been using snow knives for centuries to cut and shape snow blocks for building windbreaks and igloos. Early versions were made out of bone and walrus ivory and some examples have been 'toothed' to make them into a crude saw.
Though having a somewhat less illustrious history, the snow saw we have here in the collection was designed for the same purpose, and Mick Tighe bought it for his Mountain Guiding Company, Nevis Guides, back in the 1980's for constructing igloos and snow shelters on their winter survival courses. We think they may have come from the British Antartic Survey and probably date back to the 1950's.
A friend of Mick's, Billy Munro made the cover since the saw's teeth are pretty fierce and needed covering. The day glow strip is to help locate the white cover in the snow!

Acquisition Method

Donated by Mick Tighe

Acquisition Date

01/08/2012

Condition Check Date

01/08/2012

Rules

Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007

Modified

01/08/2012

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