W. Robertson Machine & Foundry Co., #1 Power Hacksaw

From 1912 until at least 1945, this company made power hacksaws. Founder William Robertson, a British citizen, lived in Hamilton, Ontario in 1892, in Buffalo, NY between 1899 and 1901, and in Chicago from 1904 to 1906, and then in Buffalo again from 1907 onwards. From about 1907 to 1912 he worked for Frontier Iron Works. In 1912 he established the W. Robertson Machine & Foundry Co. to manufacture power hacksaws and drilling machines. The company survived until at least 1945, but likely not for much longer than that.

Information Sources

• From Iron Age, 09 May 1912 p. 1173:

  The W. Robertson Machine & Foundry Company

  W. Robertson announces that he has severed his connection with the Frontier Iron Works and has organized a company under the laws of New York, capitalized at $15,000, with $12,000 paid in, under the name of the W. Robertson Machine & Foundry Company. The officers are as follows: W. Robertson, president and manager; T. J. Reed, vice-president; F. H. Keil, secretary; F. M. Robertson, treasurer. The company will manufacture machine tool specialties, which will include a complete line of power hacksaws for all kinds of metal cutting and special drilling machines. It will also manufacture to order gray iron pistons, with walls and thickness of metals cast within 0.005 in. of finished size, and in which the wrist pin holes are put in absolutely round and to dimensions according to specifications. By this process a balanced piston is produced, which is very essential for quiet and serviceable motors, and it eliminates a great loss in machining defective castings, which is a serious drawback in ordinary foundry practice in producing these parts. Mr. Robertson states as proof of his claim to being a successful designer of tools and appliances that over 16,000 of his power hack saws are in use and claims for his new Economy saw that it is much in advance of anything he has offered heretofore. The company's office is located at 32 Greenwood Place, Buffalo, N. Y.

• Article in various 1912 issues of Iron Age, reporting on several newly introduced models of power hacksaws. See the Images tab, above, to read these articles.
• The February 1917 issue of Machinery has an article on a new Robertson heavy-duting power saw.
• The Commercial Car Journal, 15 Feb 1920 pg 110
• Article in a 1927 issue of Machinery on the new Robertson "Economy" No. 4X power hacksaw.
• Listing in a 1943 issue of Aerosphere as a maker of metal sawing machines and beaders, among other products.
• From a 1945 issue of Modern Machine Shop: "Robertson builds a complete line of Power Hack Saws in sixes and types to suit your needs. Send for illustrated folder Form 1-A which gives complete details. W. ROBERTSON MACHINE & FOUNDRY CO."