Use
From the early 1800s into the 1950s, saws like this were used to “harvest” ice off of frozen lakes, rivers, and streams so it could be stacked in icehouses and used as needed until the following year’s harvest. Then, the ice was often delivered to homes by the “iceman” who deposited blocks into “iceboxes.”
An ice harvester’s tool kit commonly included the ice plow, ice saw, grapple, jack-grapple, breaking-off bar, caulk-bar, packing chisel, house bar, and fork bar, among other equipment.
