A workshop nickname for a polishing grinder whose shape protects angular areas of marble while carrying abrasive and cloth polishing attachments.
In the Pietrasanta workshop vocabulary documented by Le voci del marmo, sassofono names a grinder used during polishing. A cloth brush can be mounted at its end, and abrasive grades such as 120 or 180 may be used for rapid refinement and polishing. Its characteristic shape helps protect angular areas of the marble.
Etymology
Italian sassofono literally means “saxophone”; here it is a workshop nickname based on the tool's form.
Sculptor Notes
This is exactly the kind of living bottega term worth preserving: the name describes a shop tool through workshop usage rather than formal engineering nomenclature.
References
https://levocidelmarmo.sns.it/scheda_oggetti_relazione.php?denom=sassofono&id=53