Wedge lookin thing found near some trenches

[Newt]

Wedge lookin' thing found near some trenches

I found this between 2 trenches.

Context:
Hillside with trench lines wrapping around hillside.
Trenches were on the south side of the hill.
Buttons, Spencer rounds, rivets and tent stakes were found on top of the hill.
Plenty of lead slag too.

And most importantly, this place has been "killed" by detectorists.

Anyone know what this might be?

 

[DCMatt]

Re: Wedge lookin' thing found near some trenches

Looks like some kind of chisel.

DCMatt

 

[montepollock]

Re: Wedge lookin' thing found near some trenches

I was reminded of a tomahawk head to be socketed into a wooden handle.
Maybe made by a local blacksmith.
Fascinating Find.
HH,Mont

 

[TiredIron]

Re: Wedge lookin' thing found near some trenches

Could they be "tree felling wedges"...?? A logger would carry a couple and tap them into the back cut when dropping trees?

TiredIron

 

[savant365]

Re: Wedge lookin' thing found near some trenches

i don't know what it's called but it looks like the piece that gets hammered in to the top of a wooden handle to spread the wood to hold it it in the head of the axe or sledge hammer. It may be too big for that though but it looks too small to use for cutting down trees.

HH Charlie

 

[johnnyi]

Re: Wedge lookin' thing found near some trenches

Tired iron, maybe along the lines of your guess, these were used just to spread the cut a little so the saw wouldn't bind, rather than be the larger wedge used to cause the fall after the cuts were complete.

 

[Newt]

Re: Wedge lookin' thing found near some trenches

I think Tired Iron might have it! Please keep submitting if you have any other ideas.
Thanks everyone.
Newt

 

[johnnyi]

Re: Wedge lookin' thing found near some trenches

"I think Tired Iron might have it!"

I think tired iron solved it too; the round edge looks beaten with a hammer or sledge, the thin part of the wedge starts it in, the semicircular thick part evenly controls the direction of the fall once pounded in, etc..

 

[DCMatt]

Re: Wedge lookin' thing found near some trenches

"I think Tired Iron might have it!"

I think tired iron solved it too; the round edge looks beaten with a hammer or sledge, the thin part of the wedge starts it in, the semicircular thick part evenly controls the direction of the fall once pounded in, etc..

It seems very thin for a wedge. Also, way back they used wooden wedges for felling. They were pounded in with a big wooden mallet called a "beetle".

I did some research on this topic a few months ago when we found a number (6 or 7) of wedges at a site that has given up early 1800's coins, buttons, and relics. We're guessing it was a lumber camp.

Ours are thicker than this one and we don't think they were felling wedges because they are too thin/small. They also showed evidence of hard pounding and were sharpened. They are shaped like small axe heads without the hole for a handle. A couple have some "cross hatching" cast into them. I think they were used for cutting or shaping the logs. Or maybe used as spacers to keep crosscut saws from binding in the logs.

I still think this item is a special type of chisel.

DCMatt

 

[haybudden2]

Re: Wedge lookin' thing found near some trenches

I think Tirediron is right. It looks like
KERF wedge used when a tree is being
sawed down. Prevents the tree from
pinching and trapping the saw blade.

Hay2

Or, it's a petrified mushroom slice.