Metal wedge found in the north woods

[keepsake]

A co-worker found this years ago in a crotch of a burned out tree while tracking a deer. It's non-ferrous and light for its size- pot metal?- and appears to be cast. Any ideas?

 

[Mud Hut]

Looks like an old felling wedge .. modern ones are made of plastic or fiberglass

 

[villagenut]

It looks pitted as if it were ferrous material with some corrosion. Agree with Mud Hut though that it looks a lot like a wedge.

 

[AKiwi]

Mud Hut has nailed it...

 

[BosnMate]

Old time falling wedges were made out of Magnesium. Local loggers were notorious for burning forest service locks off using a falling wedge. I don't know what they did to get the wedge to burning, I'm just repeating stories, from old time loggers.

 

[Mud Hut]

Old time falling wedges were made out of Magnesium. Local loggers were notorious for burning forest service locks off using a falling wedge. I don't know what they did to get the wedge to burning, I'm just repeating stories, from old time loggers.

I think you can still buy magnesium felling wedges

 

[keepsake]

Thanks for the quick replies- I believe you've solved it! I'll let him know the results- thanks again

 

[Ant]

That looks like a wedge for securing a hammer, pick or ax head, etc, those v shaped lines are what I remember and it is too small for a felling wedge.

 

[Mud Hut]

....it is too small for a felling wedge.

Not really .. What's left of it is a bit over 4 inches long .. the one I posted above is 5 inches.
The wedges for securing wooden handles are barely over an inch long.

 

[Ant]

That is for a baby hamner Mud Hut, I have used wood, and various metal wedges to repair sledge hammers to matox picks, we drive the wedge to set it then if needed cut off any extra.

 

[pa plateau hiker]

Felling wedge. It doesn't take much to open the kerf when cutting a tree down. I have found felling wedges that small, different styles, not magnesium. These would be iron wedges the old lumbermen used.