Obviously a nail, but its purpose?

[MissIron.Maiden]

I find these large ( hand forged?) one sided sloped head nails around my property. Usually they are about one or 2 inch thick encrusted things, so they been in the ground a good while. I'm sure their true size is slimmer, but this is about as slim as I get them without them falling apart. Any special purpose? Just wondering what that sloped head is about and they are rectangular and seem blunt ended. Unless the points all broke off?

 

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[Tony in SC]

Early nails were smith made, squareish and with a tapered flat point. The flat point would not split the boards like a round nail does. That size, judging by your dainty little hand, would be too small for framing. Most frame work was done with pegs. Could have been used for stalls in a barn, siding etc. Just my thoughts, Tony

 

[johnnyi]

As you probably know, many of these older squre nails were of local manufacture and sometimes can be identifiable if you compare notes with other properties around your's. For instance Henry Chapman Mercer wrote a whole booklet a hundred years ago on identifying numerous types of nail heads just in Bucks County. If consistant, that sloped head style is pretty unusual out this a way, but could be the product of a local smith's individual work in your area, especially if you are finding them over a very wide piece of property. Another possibility might be that they're from an older farm impliment such as one of the large old "cannon" shellers of the 1840's for instancce. Those would require rows of nails pounded into a revolving wooden cylinder and I remember as a boy those nail heads slanting one direction. Good luck

 

[BosnMate]

Also, on a farm a lot of spike tooth harrows were home made. The rows of spikes helped break up the clods after plowing, or covered the broadcasted seeds etc.
This photo shows one in a museum, and it looks home made to me. This one wasn't pulled by horses, it has a three point hitch, probably for a Ford 9N tractor, but it gives you the idea. The horse pulled ones were made with a wood frame.

 

[MissIron.Maiden]

Also, on a farm a lot of spike tooth harrows were home made. The rows of spikes helped break up the clods after plowing, or covered the broadcasted seeds etc. <img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1063356"/>This photo shows one in a museum, and it looks home made to me. This one wasn't pulled by horses, it has a three point hitch, probably for a Ford 9N tractor, but it gives you the idea. The horse pulled ones were made with a wood frame.

Well those spokes sure look familiar . Very well could be . This was an old property , the barn actually sat in my front yard up until 2 years ago when a fire took down the beautiful old barn.
Thank you everyone for your input... Very helpful

 

[MissIron.Maiden]

As you probably know, many of these older squre nails were of local manufacture and sometimes can be identifiable if you compare notes with other properties around your's. For instance Henry Chapman Mercer wrote a whole booklet a hundred years ago on identifying numerous types of nail heads just in Bucks County. If consistant, that sloped head style is pretty unusual out this a way, but could be the product of a local smith's individual work in your area, especially if you are finding them over a very wide piece of property. Another possibility might be that they're from an older farm impliment such as one of the large old "cannon" shellers of the 1840's for instancce. Those would require rows of nails pounded into a revolving wooden cylinder and I remember as a boy those nail heads slanting one direction. Good luck

I'm surrounded by iron blast furnaces... In every direction. Chester county, Bucks is next door I think Mr. Mercer could write a book just on the nail heads in my yard and yes, I find hunks of melted iron and other metals.. There was a lot of metal smithing going on in my area .. Everyone must have had to do a lot of their own on the farm.

 

[MissIron.Maiden]

Early nails were smith made, squareish and with a tapered flat point. The flat point would not split the boards like a round nail does. That size, judging by your dainty little hand, would be too small for framing. Most frame work was done with pegs. Could have been used for stalls in a barn, siding etc. Just my thoughts, Tony

My beaten up , bone broken hands haven't been called " dainty" in years... Ty