http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Dremel-H...QQcmdZViewItem

This is NOT my listing by the way, it's just the first link I found
with a picture of one of these.

There's an ad for these on the back of one of my magazines, the
June 1948 issue of Popular Home Craft, 35 cents, 40 cants in Canada.
That would have put me right at 7 1/2, and I would have killed for one
of them.

The saw is listed at $5.85, complete (with 3 saw blades), POSTPAID.
Blades were 50 cents a dozen. You could even send $2.00 part payment,
and the postman the balance, plus postage, on C.O.D. delivery. Plus
money back after 10 days if not delighted.

They say boys from 8 to 80 (girls too) have fun with them. Now how
many parents today would trust an 8 yo with one f those. And, if they
did, the second the kid got nicked by the blade, they'd probably be
crying lawsuit. Gods above, I would have absolutely loved to have one.
But back in those days, with many families, mine included, $5.85 was
some big bucks, not to be spent on things like that. Besides, I never
even heard of one until many years later. If by some wild whim of fate
had allowed me to own one, I'd have gotten a safety talk that would have
gone something like this, "Be careful with that thing, and don't expect
another if you break it". And, if by some chance I did suffer a wound
with it, I'd hear something like, "Well, serves you right for playing
around". But you can bet I'd ever cut myself with it again Too bad
more parents don't have attitudes like that today.

I could actually use one of these things at times, and they
frequently show up on eBay for less then $10, postage extra. But unless
I find one at a yard sale or flea market, I'll probably live life
without one.

I do like the part of the ad that says, "Safe as a hand saw"; I've
nicked myself plenty of times with hand saws.



JOAT
What is life without challenge and a constant stream of new
humiliations?
- Peter Egan