Possible trap?

[Blind Squirrel]

Found this on the creek bank behind the house about a foot deep. Don't know if it is a trap or what. Any help with the ID and possible time period would be appreciated. HH BS

 

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[daroofa]

Yes, it's a foothold trap. Not sure on age though.

 

[hammered]

It looks like what we call a Gin Trap here in the UK .

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/andyspatch/gintraps.htm


hammered

 

[knighthunter]

Called either a foothold or leghold trap. Can still be bought today. Can't tell age but they have been around for a lot of years.

 

[dduffy]

Blind Squirrel,
I found one exactly like yours but not rusty. it was inside an old tree. Sure it was there to trap one of those Blind Squirrels
I was told proably around 1930's. During Depression times when food was allot cheaper in the woods(free). Animal lovers went crazy about how mean it was and i should destroy it. Well it's hanging on my wall. If things don't get better i may put it back to work.

Duff

 

[Bubba707]

That style trap has been around since before the days of the American fur trade.

 

[Mike in Berks]

people used them for muskrats, fox, racoons around here skins used to bring good $$

 

[Mike in Berks]

google longspring muskrat trap - images might be what you have Blind Squirrel

 

[oldcoon]

The trap in the pictures is a number 1 Blake & Lamb longspring trap. It was made for muskrats, skunks, opposums, mink and similar sized animals. Blake & Lamb traps have not been manufactured for almost 30 years.

I can not be certain when your trap was made, but be assured it was within the last 50 years. I can tell that by the overall design and chain.

Now for the bad news. Your trap is worthless except as a curio display of metal detecting finds. Traps like yours in near perfect condition exist in numbers. They are not rare by any means. If your trap was in pristine condition it might be worth $12-15. Yours is far from it and as I stated before, worthless.

I use traps of a similar design and have for over 50 years. [mod]edited[/mod]

 

[clovis97]

The pan would have had a maker's mark of some type. (The pan is the round part of steel.) The maker's mark has probably gotten too rusty to read. It might be a Blake and Lamb trap; most of these had an stamped imprint on the pan, where many of the Victor brand traps had a 'V' cut out in the pan.

Personally, I don't think the trap is all that old. Lots of people still run trap lines, even though fur prices are very, very low.

FWIW, traps are still manufactured and sold. They can be a hot commodity on ebay, but generally if you have lots of traps in a lot, like six or more. If you were selling it, you might get $5 for it.

 

[NHBandit]

Agreed that it's probably not really old and made for small animals. The wife is part Mohawk and was raised by her grandfather in northern VT. She grew up trapping & skinning beaver, etc. Her grandfather only had one arm and she used to go with him when he went out. Cool find but as the others have said, not worth much. I have several different traps hanging from my porch as decorations and never paid more than 10 bucks for any of them.

 

[IronSpike]

Spot on daroofa

Green check.

 

[iowa trout]

Clean the top of the pan up with a wire brush to a bare metal and lets see what it says .

 

[DigginThePast]

[mod]This thread is open for discussion of the item posted only.

To discuss trapping, please go to this thread:
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,379396.0.html [/mod]