The History of Scrollsawing

The evolution of the scrollsaw is linked to the rise in popularity of frework -- the sawing of intricate shapes from wood.  Although there are examples of fretwork-like decorations on early Egyptian, Greek, and Roman furniture, these were probably carved or cut with a knife.  It wasn't commonly practiced to saw delicate wooden shapes until the late 1500's, when a German craftsman (most likely a clock maker) devised a method for making fine, narrow blades.  Soon thereafter, a Parisian began to develop specialized hand tools for cutting these intricate designs. He designed a U-shaped fret saw which was originally known as a Buhl-saw (Buhl a corrupted pronunciation of the man's name) very similar to a coping saw.  As Mr. Boulle's work gained notoriety, the craft was legitimized and quickly spread to Italy within a generation.  Fretwork was introduced to America in the mid-1800's as Sorrento wood carving. Sorrento is so named because of the area in Italy that it was most popular. By the 1860's, the first mechanical fret saws -- called scroll saws -- began to appear in the U.S.  And so a great art form and hobby were born. Today there are over fifty models of scrollsaws available with many options.

|| Return to Home Page ||