Farm Find

[PSHeirlooms]

I found this tool in a pasture located in Winterpock, VA. This is the location of the original Richmond Coal Basin and near the old Richmond Railroad. My first thoughts was a Railroad Adze. It is 12 inches, 4 pounds, iron, symmetrical with a rounded blade and blunt pin. Any Thoughts?

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Agony and Death on a Gold Rush Steamer: The Disastrous Sinking of the Side-Wheeler Yankee Blade - Grab it through Amazon!

[G.A.P.metal]

PS you got a
Pick Axe !
Gary

 

[PSHeirlooms]

Thanks Gary,
This has a more rounded blade and blunt pin than a traditional pick axe. More like a Shipwrights adze.

Compare to this garden pick.

 

[maxpower]

Mattock

 

[pong12211]

Mystery solved.

 

[nsdq]

one time use mini boat anchor

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Very nice relic find.

 

[hbeaton]

My two cents...

Although you mentioned it was found near the old Richmond Railroad, I really think this is a modified ship carpenter's adze with hammer pin (blunt end).

James River ain't too far away...

 

[PSHeirlooms]

My two cents...

Although you mentioned it was found near the old Richmond Railroad, I really think this is a modified ship carpenter's adze with hammer pin (blunt end).

James River ain't too far away...

I agree hbeaton, but I could not find an example of a shipwrights adze with this type of flat blade and rounded edges. They are typically more scooped.

 

[GpSnoopy]

I see quite a few flat bladed shipwrights adzes online. Here is a pick of a few of them. Yours is just a bit more rounded at the end.

 

[hbeaton]

I agree with GpSnoopy. I saw the exact same two images he posted in my research and felt it was some type of shipwright adze. I further agree with you PSHeirlooms that you have an item that is kinda sorta in one area (the adzes) and maybe another area like a pick but there is no smoking adze or pick that is exactly like yours that I have come across. A related anecdote: I have a blacksmith tool I posted on another thread here that has what looks like an axe blade as well as hammer end and was hand forged. I presumed it was a blacksmith's tool for a "hot cut" but the axe part was too wide to be the simple chisel head that most of the hot cut sets have. I took my appeal to the master blacksmiths in Williamsburg at Anderson's Blacksmith shop (great folks)and was told I had a custom made blacksmith hot cut/chisel and hand hatchet/hammer combo that someone had specifically made to be multipurpose.

Here's that thread just FYI:
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/w...small-axe-hatchet-hammer-blacksmith-tool.html

Maybe not a bad idea to shoot those guys a couple pics and ask them what they think in addition to the thread you've already started here.

 

[QUICKSILVER (appletree)]

When I use to work at a tire place called Tire America we use to have a tool like that, the peg had a big rubber hammer head on it! it was for knocking wheels off the lugs if stuck and if I am correct breaking beads on truck and tractor tires

 

[PSHeirlooms]

Thanks hbeaton. I'll give it a try.