Tool or weapon, old or new anyone recognize. Looks like a prison shank.

[igottadig]

 

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[igottadig]

12 inches or so in length. Balanced feel. Had a thick cover of coquina she'll and rust which almost fell away after hitting with a rubber mallet. No visible markings other than the serrated pattern.

 

[Tony in SC]

Looks like a piece of metal that was cut off with a torch?

 

[Mud Hut]

What is a prison shank?

 

[pepperj]

What is a prison shank?

Shiv, also chiv, schiv, and shivvie, is a homemade knife-like weapon, especially one fashioned in prison. ... The derived verb, shiv means "to stab someone", a shivver being the criminal who attacks victims with a knife. A knife improvised in prison is also often called a shank.

 

[pepperj]

Looks like a piece of metal that was cut off with a torch?

That's what I was thinking as well, just a torched cut off.

 

[ticndig]

the edge was created by improper travel speed of a cutting torch , it's just scrap metal.

 

[pa plateau hiker]

A prison shank? You have quite the imagination!!

 

[galenrog]

Anyone using that as a shank would likely cause permanent damage to their own hand.

The opinions that it is a piece of scrap cause by a cutting torch (an amateur at that) are entirely correct.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

This one should be marked “solved”.
A piece of scrap from a metal project.

However…wrap half of it with cloth and you would have a deadly shank if placed in the right hands.

 

[cutty]

you dont get to keep your shank when you get out! i agree with torch cut scrap

 

[EagleEye1]

What is a prison shank?

Anything when you got time on your hands and want to hurt another while serving time. Items most would NEVER think of from a toothbrush to even a bar of soap believe it or not, and easily will kill a 6'5" 250lb man in a split second if done right.

 

[EagleEye1]

Very interesting, anything from St. Augustine would have me guessing. Everyone and everything came through there as far as History is concerned. Interesting find!

 

[Kray Gelder]

Looks like a piece of metal that was cut off with a torch?

Yes.