We have seen a treadle-powered scrollsaw with this maker's name cast into the over-table arm. The saw is also marked "Dirigo", and is an exact match to a saw designed by J. W. Penney of Mechanics Falls, ME, and sold by J. W. Penney & Sons. The connection between W. N. Sears and J. W. Penney is unknown, but we speculate that Sears licensed Penney's design. If they had merely imported the Penney machine they would have been saddled with substantial import tariffs.
Information Sources
- The My-Grain Creative Woodwork website provided us the first good photo of one of these saws. The picture confirms that the Sears name really is cast into the frame of the saw