Thought was an Adze.....

[villagenut]

Thought this was either an axe or an adze when I dug this one. It was on a site where in 1846, a schooner was built. I have found ship spikes on this site as well so I thought for sure that this had an ID. But after some time in my tank, it had all the charactoristics of an old hand forged adze....but then this little square? appendage shows up. I thought that it was just another concretion as it went into cleaning, but is obvious a part of the tool. Definitely hand forged and definitely old, but what the heck is it now. I thought that the adze may have broken at the haft hole and the Smithy who made it(who was also the ship builder here) may have forge welded a side handle. Just my wild guess, but I dont know what to make of it. Could it be a plow point, one that I have not seen one resemble? Any help is much appreciated. Thanks for looki, vn.

 

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[Rogue Relic Hunter]

def looks like an axe or some similar tool. esp that 3rd pic on the right. be interested in hearing other opinions on here. bet someone nails it down. nothing like a mystery.

 

[villagenut]

I ruled out an axe early on, as cleaning revealed no hole for a handle. But the smaller end looked like it may have had a socket for a handle but more of how an adze handle would fit. The tool has a curvature and would have had an edge on it at one time. Obviously, this one needs more time in the tank, possibly more details will show but being blacksmith made, it could be a repaired or repurposed tool. Thanks for the input Rogue.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Looks like a wedge for a large block plane. The wedge was usually made of wood but if the build site is a wet environment a metal wedge was sometimes used to prevent swelling in place. In 1846 block planes would have been used extensively by the fitters.

 

[villagenut]

As it undergoes more treatment, it looks more and more like a blacksmith made adze that may have been repurposed into something else.....or something else was being made into an adze. Anyhow, here is some recent views out of the tank. I reckon it could have been a wedge of some sort, but it is pretty heavy and big.

 

[Tnmountains]

Could have been forged for a specific task. black smith stuff is hard to ID sometimes. I know the stuff I forge is hard to ID. Lol. Wonder if it was a type on pin inserted into wood to tie down or leverage with? I think you have gone about as far as you can with your electrolysis . I am guessing a water find being in that large of a rust cocoon?

 

[villagenut]

not a water find, but near a river bank. this was where the schooner was built. Thanks for the input on this TM.

 

[Tnmountains]

Welcome sir! You can see the grain of the cross piece forge welded into it. I like blobs of iron no telling what will come out.
Happy Hunting!

 

[villagenut]

After some more staring at the cleaned up chunk of heavy forged iron, I gave some thought to the blacksmith who would have forged it. His blacksmith shop was on this same site where he built the schooner here where this was found. And I wonder if this could be a treadle for a smiths hammer. From what I have seen upon doing additional research, a treadle was a foot pedal type of leverage device to raise a heavy hammer to drop onto a piece being worked on the anvil. Any thoughts from you blacksmiths out there?