Old Gold mining hammer?

[Nappy701]

U guys think this is an old gold hammer. For working quartz veins or breaking ores? Is about a foot and half long also wondering how old it could be I see there are old square nail holding the head on.

 

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[DizzyDigger]

What a cool find...wish that old hammer could talk..bet
it's busted some good ore in its time.

Did you find it?

 

[dave wiseman]

Might be for a blacksmith.Hardrock hammers in gold mining are called single jacks and are usually from two to four pounds in weight with both faces flat.The sledge hammers are called double jacks in gold mining and have two flat faces,and often weighing between eight to twelve pounds.One man turns and sets the handsteel and the other strikes.There were many double jacking contests in the old mining days out west.

 

[tamrock]

I have that very type hammer. We had those for an overall smacking on things hammer at the mine I worked at. They called them a cold cut hammer. You could actually cut a 35 pound train track rail with it. One guy would hold the chisel end on the rail and with a blow from an other with a sledge hammer or double jack as it was called on the flat end and it would split that rail in two. Look for a hammer head that has a curve to it. It's called a Dago Style hammer head. They're worth over a hundred bucks and I'm always hoping to spot one in the antique shops I stop by. A fella in Nederland Colorado makes new ones for the guys who compete in the single jack events at the mining competitions held in the mining regions throughout the west.

 

[fowledup]

Yep Blacksmithing hammer, I've got one or two and I remember a few of those in Dads and grandpas tool boxes. I believe old Tin knockers were fond of the smaller ones as well. That one looks like it has been used as a splitting maul.

 

[Nappy701]

Thanks for the comments guys. I bet they used it for building the track for the gold carts and what have you. Yes I know u can find a lot of hammers like this that have never been near a mine but the little bit of history I have my grampa told me it was his dads mining/rail hammer.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Nice find. With a little work it would be a quite serviceable

Mining in the old days required as many, or often more, lumberjacks, lumbermen and carpenters than actual miners. Woodworking tools are more common at old mine sites than actual mining tools.

Even today support people outnumber miners at the large mines. Miners are well paid professionals. Woodworkers, mechanics. metal workers and dray (trucking) operators are well paid professionals to this day too. Just not as well paid.

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