🥇 BANNER Antler Knife, Pontil Bottle, CW Buttons and more...

[OutdoorAdv]

After weeks of rain, I was dying to get out to sift. It seemed like bands of rain swept across the US every day for the last 2 weeks, so when the sun came out on Thurs, I was out the door. Sadly the soil was too wet and the grass waist high, so I just hunkered down in one small area to dig nails. Thurs was one of those hunts that started out amazing, with multiple bone pieces turning up early on, followed by a complete pontil bottle and the General Service button, which gave me the right attitude for digging nails for 5 hours. In all, on Thurs I dug exactly 100 nails and a few dozen pieces of other iron. On Saturday (yesterday) I got out for 8 hours and dug an equal number of nails along with 2 CW Excelsior buttons. Yesterday was a much slower hunt than thurs, but I was happy with the two NY buttons that turned up.



This bottle was a big deal for me. I'm not a bottle collector, hardly know a thing about them, but I think these hand made bottles are killer. I've been sifting this pit since last year and everything I find is pulverized. I'm lucky to find a piece of pottery or glass that is larger than an inch across. I still save it all and piece what I can back together for displaying. I have wanted a complete bottle so bad and its very discouraging to dig broken things for 100's of hours of sifting. So I got the antler knife out of the plug and after 5 min of removing nails with my pinpointer from the plug, my machine was telling me more nails were right to the left of it. So I cut a large half moon plug extension and when I flip back the sod, this bottle drops out the bottom. If I came in an inch on the size of my plug extension, I would have crushed this bottle. I sat there with a huge dumb smile for at least 5 minutes just staring at this bottle. It was so rewarding after digging so many really cool broken pieces, to finally get one of these really old blown pontil bottles.




This antler knife was found digging a large flat iron high tone with iron grunts... the hole turned out to contain all iron, but there was a piece of sheet metal, the knife blade and a hand full of nails. I dug the bone fork sides one plug before the antler knife. There was a nail in the plug that I was finding to remove with my pinpointer and the bone handles were an added bonus. The following plug I popped it open and saw the antler handle.... was so awesome... I took my time removing it since I didn't want to break off anything that was left of the iron part. I was unsure if it was a fork, knife or spoon when I first saw it and luckily there was enough of the knife blade left to tell what it was.

The progression of preservation as dug, washed, electrolysis, hot wax (iron) mineral oil (antler), and I had to epoxy the blade back into the handle. Turned out great.






Here are some of my favorite bone and wood handle utensils that have turned up here, sitting on a plate from here that I have been trying to reconstruct. All of these have been in past posts on here within the last year. Cool to think any of them could have been used together or by the same person and possibly eaten a meal on that very plate



Some nice rose heads from Thurs. The uncleaned one is from yesterday and I probably have even more since I haven't even sorted through my from that trip yet.



The Civil War General Service button has a perfect patina on it with a nice Waterbury backmark. Of all my GS buttons, this one has the best color and was very nice to add to my display. Yesterday my 4th and 5th NY Excelsior button turned up from this place. The first one yesterday was in nice condition, but the second one had old damage where the face was crushed in and the inside filled with dirt. So I saved the dirt from inside since I figured it might contain some of the front pieces. I was able to find 3 of the pieces and glue them back on. So while its in rough shape, its still better than a button with hardly any face.





This brick was a nice surprise in many ways. I'm always digging bricks here and usually leave them in the plug. After 100's of bricks, this was my first complete one... better yet, its in exterior corner brick from the chimney with the white wash paint still on it. Insane!! You can see the charring on it where it was on the inside of the chimney and where the other brick butted up to it. White wash paint is on the two outside ends of the brick.



All 5 of the NY buttons in the display now.



Unmasking new non-ferrous tones is a lot of work, but totally worth it. The surprises are few, but rewarding and in the process I get cool relics like the pieces of bone and rose head nails.

Thanks for reading and happy hunting.

 

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[villagenut]

I do t even know where to begin. First, great presentation. The care you show is inspirational. I also really enjoy the four pictures of the knife transformation. Very cool!

The iron key would be my favorite if you didn't find that bottle, and the knife. But then again, all your finds is like choosing between supermodels. Great show man!!!

Tell your wife I said I'm glad you spent all that time positing, and your post was inspirational lol

Well said Scrappy

 

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[JBnNC]

Great post, I enjoyed reading every word. Congrats on the finds, that's a wonderful spot with good variety of relics.

 

[Calabash Digger]

nice finds! thanks for posting the program.Im thinking about the digging nails part I have a few sites that I know targets are masked .Im thinking about digging some nails!

 

[OutdoorAdv]

That site just continues to give and give....and no doubt your perseverance at this place has made you a better detectorist. Most would have left that place long ago. I have likely been guilty of moving on to quickly in the past. I'm always so excited to search for the next place on my list. I have a long list of sites that I need to revisit at some point. Love your posts and presentation pal

Thanks a ton man! Years ago I would have moved on from this place a long time ago. Actually, I have had many hunts here where I think it'll be my last really productive one. Its the strangest place in that an INSANE number of stuff has come out of the dirt, but its all in moderation.... I've had some hunts that were much better than others here, but its seems if I put in the time, I am always rewarded. If it wasnt for discovering sifting, I think I would have moved on last fall.... boy am I glad I stuck it out.

I can't believe all of the bone handled utensils you're pulling out of there. I've never dug one and never really thought about them until I've seen the ones you've been digging. Are you re-digging the pit every time or are digging different sections....forgive me if you've already addressed this.

Thanks a ton Joey! In the group shot, the complete knife blade with the partial bone handle, I actually dug the first weekend I detected this place over a year ago. It was located in what I would later learn to be part of the pit. I've dug a few bone handles from the pit that are located at the bottom in the clay layer and that bone is almost always brittle... it just falls apart. The bones that are suspended in the black soil seem to be in the best condition. So I think the proper soil conditions are what have preserved these bones and allowed me to find so many of them. I realized my initial post wording wasnt so clear... I actually planned on sifting on Thurs and Sat, but I didn't either day because the soil was too wet.... but I did work the pit area with my Deus and just dug the nails and iron from there. I do this to find pit areas that are more promising and I keep a mental note of which sections I give a higher priority to sift next. The pit is anywhere from the surface to where the clay layer begins which at most is around 12" deep... sometimes shallower. So when I do sift, I open small sections at a time and then do another section.... I actually think I am just sifting what was once the back yard where they just tossed everything out.

I do t even know where to begin. First, great presentation. The care you show is inspirational. I also really enjoy the four pictures of the knife transformation. Very cool!

The iron key would be my favorite if you didn't find that bottle, and the knife. But then again, all your finds is like choosing between supermodels. Great show man!!!

Tell your wife I said I'm glad you spent all that time positing, and your post was inspirational lol

haha Thanks a ton dude! I know I texted you the additional pictures, but that's the 5th or so iron key from here. I also really like digging those. As you know I've dug many bone and wood utensil handles... I had read about antler handles, but never imagined I would find one. SO the antler knife was my favorite find... for 5 minutes until the bottle turned up right next to it. That bottle was my fu to the pit where everything is pulverized! It felt so good to find one in tact after picking thousands of glass and pottery pieces out of the dirt for 100's of hours. Technically, she is my girlfriend... however, I will be sure to NOT let her know you said that, as it will dredge up again the amount of time I spent editing these photos and writing this post. In general she is uninterested in what I bring home, but she does comment on some things like "that's broken AND its dirty", or "another button? really?" or "ewww, pigs teeth". And shes right on all accounts!

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Congrats on a nice bunch of finds

Thank you trapperart!

The number of wood, bone and antler handled utensils you're finding at that site is amazing!! I never seem to find those, and its been a blast following your digs as you continue to recover some awesome pieces of history. And that cool pontilled bottle is a miracle find in that pit. Not sure how it survived, but now it will be preserved forever. Love your posts, but even more the passion. Talk to you soon bud ....

Thanks a ton Bill! In my response to Joey I mentioned why I think the bones survived. I have found them in the clay and the bone just falls apart. Regardless, the bone seems to fare much better than wood. These two had wood handles and one had just a tiny amount of wood remaining. Although I have found many forks/knives/spoons here that have no handle left at all.



In the group shot on this post, the handle with heart inlays (from a few months ago) was the most complete wood one and its so brittle. I soaked the wood in mineral oil so it wouldn't flake away. When I took it out for the group shot pieces were falling apart. So I think I am going to have to dip it in wax or something to hold all that wood together or it will continue to break apart.

As you know, that bottle was very special to me... you have motivated me more than once when I get discouraged with how broken everything is in this pit. It was only a couple inches deep and surrounded by rocks, so it is a miracle it survived. I believe it was discarded close to the house and not in a foot traffic area. SO perhaps that's how it got spared.

Well said Scrappy

Thank you villagenut!

Great post, I enjoyed reading every word. Congrats on the finds, that's a wonderful spot with good variety of relics.

Thank you JBnNC! Glad it was interesting... the posts take a while to put together, but its worth it when people enjoy them. When its snowing or raining out, I'll read through old posts and re-enjoy the finds all over again.

nice finds! thanks for posting the program. Im thinking about the digging nails part I have a few sites that I know targets are masked . Im thinking about digging some nails!

Thanks calabash digger! One other thing I left out was that I turned the Audio Response up to 5. I typically have it at 4. It really amplified what would have been a whisper... even though I lose depth perception in the sound, at this point I dont really care at this particular site... I dig it all. I have some Victorian Era properties that I wouldn't do all this work for whatever's masked there... but this property is a big exception and well worth the effort. Keep us posted if you dig some nails and what you end up finding.

 

[Steve in PA]

Nice saves Brah and kudos for the effort you put forth to preserve what you dig.

 

[DownNDirty]

Brad-
I always look forward to your posts and you never disappoint. That really is a super pit site you have found and you have mastered the sifting process. Cool antler and bon knife handles and the bottle is killer. Thanks for posting such good pictures of your finds, and keep sifting!

 

[CASPER-2]

 

[itzyoboyandrew]

Thats your first intact brick.... wut....

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Thats your first intact brick.... wut....

At this place, yeah, it is! I've dug 100's of bricks there, but they're all smashed up or broken in half. I've brought some plow destroyed fragments home for my display, but never any complete or with paint.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Nice saves Brah and kudos for the effort you put forth to preserve what you dig.

Thanks Steve! It's very satisfying to see the stuff after its preserved and enjoy it in the case.

Brad-
I always look forward to your posts and you never disappoint. That really is a super pit site you have found and you have mastered the sifting process. Cool antler and bon knife handles and the bottle is killer. Thanks for posting such good pictures of your finds, and keep sifting!

Thank you Glenn! It was unfortunately too wet to sift on Thurs and Sat, so hopefully it'll be dried out when I get back there. After the antler knife and bottle, I know just the area that's getting sifted next though! ha There is plenty left to sift here so I will certainly keep you guys posted.

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Thank you Casper!

 

[metalev4]

The antler handled knife is a killer find, something rarely ever dug. You did a fine job with preservation to say the least. Congrats on your first bottle! Watch out... digging early glass is addictive. That's a nice crude pontiled bottle, they usually turn to dust when touched which makes it an even better recovery. I love relics but I think I like glass even more. You have done a nice thorough job with that pit and it has paid off with a unique collection. How many NY buttons is that now? Might be 8 in your pit if the entire coat was thrown away. You are definitely making me want to go dig, looks like I finally get to in a couple weeks. Good luck with the sifting.

 

[bill_wabo]

Almost museum quality restoration and display. Impressive.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

The antler handled knife is a killer find, something rarely ever dug. You did a fine job with preservation to say the least. Congrats on your first bottle! Watch out... digging early glass is addictive. That's a nice crude pontiled bottle, they usually turn to dust when touched which makes it an even better recovery. I love relics but I think I like glass even more. You have done a nice thorough job with that pit and it has paid off with a unique collection. How many NY buttons is that now? Might be 8 in your pit if the entire coat was thrown away. You are definitely making me want to go dig, looks like I finally get to in a couple weeks. Good luck with the sifting.

Thanks a ton Evan and thank you for helping me with the ID on the bottle. Had to leave for the week on business, so I didn't do acid or anything on it yet... I might work on it some more next week though. It was awesome to see that thing drop out of the dirt and the odds it had against it not being broken were incredible, including the last 5 seconds of its burial where I circled it with my Lesche. A bottle was the last thing I would have expected to come out of a plug bottom! There is LOTS more pit left and I'll remain hopeful for another bottle! The early rare telegraph insulator from last winter is the only other nice glass thing to show up here.

The antler handle was awesome! It was stuck between some rocks and I scraped it with my digger before I saw it. The scrapes disappear with mineral oil, but once absorbed, they show back up. I might have to use some 1000 grit emory paper and see if I can buff\polish them out... they go up one side of it. Very tough when pulling large rocks and brick from the pit area not to damage something in the process.

So that's 5 NY buttons from this site. The two from Saturday were about 5 feet apart. The three from earlier in the year were about 20 yards away and those three were about 5 feet apart. Perhaps they are from the same coat, but if so, it was really spread out. The nice one I dug on Saturday rolled out of the dirt and back into the hole. I could tell it was not a GS button, and suspected NY, but was hoping for VA! ha I enjoyed it for a minute or so before picking it up to see what it was.

Goodluck when you get out and look forward to seeing what you find.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Almost museum quality restoration and display. Impressive.

Thank you Bill! I really enjoy the restoration and display part.

 

[Isaac]

Congrats on the banner bro! Beautiful display and preservation of the utensils!!!

 

[Steve in PA]

Congrats on the Banner Brad. I know you didn't see anybody mention that they voted banner, but maybe the powers that be put it up due to the quality of the post in general. You put a lot of work into that post.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Congrats on the banner bro! Beautiful display and preservation of the utensils!!!

Thanks a ton Isaac!

Congrats on the Banner Brad. I know you didn't see anybody mention that they voted banner, but maybe the powers that be put it up due to the quality of the post in general. You put a lot of work into that post.

Thank you Steve! Agreed on all accounts. I was confused when I saw it up top this morning. It really means a lot when I hear from people how much they appreciate the time it takes to put a good post together on here. There are many of you that I have a learned a lot from and respect a lot and hearing feedback is more rewarding than anything else. So thank you all

 

[Palmetto]

Congrats Brad on Banner.

 

[Patriot Relics]

Congrats on your first banner buddy, 1st of many I'm sure