Junior hacksaw blades

[alan_m]

Is there more than one standard (dimension wise) for junior hacksaw blades?

I have 5 off junior hacksaws from different manufactures. They are not the bent metal type but a tiny bit more up-market (but of no-name branding) where the blade is tensioned with a screw.

I have purchased some Eclipse blades and have found that they only fit into two of the frames I have. All frames take the same length of blade but the difference is in the position or the diameter of the "pips" at the end of the blades. In two cases the pip on the Eclipse bales are too wide and will not fit into the pip slots in the frame. In the other case where the blade doesn't fit the pip is positioned too far from the end and the retaining slot in the frame isn't long enough.

[tabbypurr]

No

[Andy Burns]

They don't seem to be covered by BS 1919-1:1993, so maybe there are zero standards for them

[Brian Gaff]

Its not just the Junior ones either. The normal ones with the pips on the handle and holes in the blades seem to have several standards as well.

I have not had any issue getting the right ones, I just need to give the frame to whoever is buying them. I did get some Stanley ones a while back, which were crap, the teeth kind of shredded off. Made in Poland it said apparently, but I suspect fakes from China using cheap and cheerful manufacturing techniques. Brian

[PeterC]

I made the mistake of getting some blades from the local post office (I know...!). Used one on mild steel, satisfying production of filings BUT the blade was smooth and the mild steel was, er, mildly annoyed. Eclipse blades are OK. All my frames are the cheap 'n' cheerful ones - I've always avoided the screw-type as they can be too bulky.

[Muddymike]

Having recently retied from an importing company where part of my role was visiting Chinese factories I can assure you that no standards are adhered to out there. Many swag importers just shop for the cheapest to offer the most in a pack without any consideration for quality whatever the product.

Two years ago the Chinese government forcibly closed down many high polluting factories, which of course we should encourage. However the result has been an increase in prices by those that remain resulting in further down spirals of quality to feed the £ shop discounters demand.

Chinese industrial towns are horrid places, don't go there!

Mike

[newshound]

So were British ones, well into the last century.

[Davey]

Too late, I was near Shanghai at a new steel mill in the mid 1990s. The colour of the atmosphere was linked to the day of the week. I once saw a two-axle truck with about 150 tons of steel roll on the back, and it still drove! How far it went down the road, I have no idea, but I had visions of it sitting there looking as though it was having a shit, after the axle broke in two. Then there was the goods bicycle with a load of pre-plucked chickens, etc etc.

Shudder.

Davey.

[Vir Campestris]

I've been out to Shenzhen a few times recently.

It's not too bad, considering it's a damn great new town with the people packed in like sardines. But I'm really thankful I don't have to live in a place like that (or London for that matter - though at least that has some history)

Andy