unknown beach find

[Moe (fl)]

This item was found several years ago between rocks at a West coast beach.

Is it some kind of harpoon point?

Thanks for the help. Photos below (US quarter for size reference).

 

[LadyDigger]

Here's an interesting article:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/li...ews.html?in_article_id=461703&in_page_id=1811

Looks like one to me...but I'm no fisherwoman....ewww LOL

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Certainly looks like it's meant to be driven into something, but the "arms" would eliminate it as a harpoon because they would halt penetration. I'm guessing a wood anchor or a fastener for rafting lumber.

 

[DCMatt]

Rock climbing crevice spike?

DCMatt

 

[RevJoel]

That is a guide tooth for a sickle-bar mower.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Bingo! Not the teeth - but the guards!

 

[bakergeol]

Good call guys about being from farm machinery. I have an exact match which I found
at farmland in eastern Colorado (actually at old Ft. Sedwick.) There has also been similar
posts and photos of this item floating around.


George

 

[Moe (fl)]

Thank you all for the information!

Now what part of the sickle-bar mower would this be? Certainly this piece looks older than the one photo posted by Charlie (NY). How old do you estimate this to be? It seems to be iron or wrought iron.

Moe (FL)

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Horse-drawn sickle-bar mowers go back to 1860 or so.  There have been HUNDREDS of versions and varieties. They were also known as "drop reapers" then. The ones on 1930's & 1940's tractor equipment look about the same.

The guards are the spikey projections along the drop bar that protect the smaller sharp teeth from rocks.

The teeth themselves are little triangular blades.

 

[Moe (fl)]

Thank you guys and gals! You are great!

-Moe

 

[chong2]

ya, sickle bar, i found 2 and posted them up a last last year, found in the desert

 

[Moe (fl)]

Chong2mry,

can you post some pics...

HH.

 

[chong2]

sorry mo, i was wrong, here is the sickle mower post.
THESE are sickle mower blades.
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,34744.msg239040.html#msg239040

but this............. is the one ur looking 4, sorry for the miss up, here is the ones i found in the desert awhile back.
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,34748.msg238810.html#msg238810

 

[Moe (fl)]

Chong2mry you rock!

The 2nd pic looks very much like mine. Thanks.

 

[ivan salis]

call it solved. -- folks are good round here.

 

[chong2]

ya, case solved, sorta...... why was his found on the beach Holmes

 

[ivan salis]

humm being its part of a old style horse drawn mower type "harvester" blade -- mowing something long ago that grew there near the ocean most likely I'd say -- maybe long ago it was a hay feild hay or some thing like that.

 

[chong2]

does hay grow by the sea shore haha im from the desrt, i dunno

 

[ivan salis]

yep hay is just grass after all == oats can grow near the sea too (sea oats in the sand dunes are just a wild form of oats) -- hay is just dried grass really -- if its a flat area crops be grown near the ocean -- some form of crop that could be cut down with a "mower" blade was most likely why it was there --

 

[chong2]

awesome, im thinking of irish land or some european country with the meadow beaches. never seen one in usa. too cool, great place to detect too im sure