What have I found

[Randy769]

I need a little help with some finds....

 

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[Sheperdess]

The first picture is a sickle section. It would be lined up in a row with many others. They are the blades on hay cutting machinery which cut the hay.

 

[taz42o]

First item is a blade for a sickle bar mower.

 

[taz42o]

Before some one says it ,no thats not a caltrop its either a kids toy jack or tumbling media.
Third item in second pic.

First item in last pic is a replacement link for a chain.

 

[Randy769]

Actually a little more research shows that it is a caltrop. It was found on a Civil war battle site within a few yards from the round ball. Several more were found just like it. This was close to Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

First is a tooth from a cutting bar. There's also a split link to connect chain in the lower left. Both still available and common (just bought four for repaining my mower wheel chains).

The "calthrop" must be pretty worn down to have no spines left. The round ball beside it would hobble a horse just as effectively.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Randy759, if you do research on actual caltrops, you'll see that they ALWAYS have ONLY FOUR spines, which are arranged in a Tetrahedral pattern so that the caltrop will always sit with one spine pointing straight up, to impale a horse's hoof, a soldier's booted foot, or a tire. The objects with more than four points are absolutely not a caltrop, because you can't make it sit with one point straight up. Those are definitely a form of Tumbler-Media known as "Mill-Stars," used in a tumbler-mill by the Metalcasting Industry to remove burrs and sand from raw-cast metal objects. They've been discussed in TreasureNet's "What-Is-It" forum several times. Two TreasureNet members have reported they've used those 6-pointed Mill-Stars in the Metalworking Shop at their job. About the ones found "near Missionary Ridge"... the Chattanooga area has historically had several ironcasting foundries, where Tumbler Mills are used to "finish" the raw castings.

The photos below show a Roman-era caltrop, and World War Two caltrops. Note that they have only FOUR spines, arranged in a Tetrahedral pattern so that they'll sit with one spine pointing straight up.

 

[CRUSADER]

Actually a little more research shows that it is a caltrop. It was found on a Civil war battle site within a few yards from the round ball. Several more were found just like it. This was close to Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga

Hi,

This is the trap that I have seen a thousand times on here. 'I found it on a CW Site, so it must be CW.' You have to change your thinking that you can pretty much find anything, from any period anywhere. Then narrow it down with factual IDs. All the things you find make up the story of the site but not always the one that you expect.

 

[diggummup]

Here is a little reading on some previous threads regarding caltrops for you Randy- http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/today-s-finds/375350-caltrop.html and http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/229506-trying-find-out-what.html

 

[Beeps in my sleep]

Here is a little reading on some previous threads regarding caltrops for you Randy- http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/today-s-finds/375350-caltrop.html and http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/229506-trying-find-out-what.html

Of course you had to use my thread of embarrassment to prove a point lol Its all good! This is why we have Tnet so we don't get duped

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Here is additional explanation about why the six-arm (or sometimes, eight arms) objects are definitely not a caltrop (also called a horse-crippler, a crows-foot, or a jack-star).

The photos below show that the not-a-caltrop objects (which are actually Tumbler-Mill Media) sit with their arms at about a 35-degree angle. Therefore, their arms will not impale a horse's hoof or a soldier's shoe. As a test, I personally stepped on a six-armed one BAREFOOTED. It caused pain, but it did not pierce the BARE skin on the bottom of my foot.

THAT is why an actual caltrop always had only four arms/spines (as shown in the photos in my previous reply), shaped so that three of the spines form a "tripod base" with the fourth spine pointing straight upward (a 90-degree angle relative to the ground).

As the photos below show, these six-armed objects are INCAPABLE of sitting with one arm pointing straight up. As my barefooted test showed, you cannot make them "work" as a caltrop.

Nonetheless, you will see these 6-armed (or eight-armed) objects for sale as being civil war caltrops. Please do not waste your hard-earned $25 (or higher) on these Ironcasting Industry tumbler-media "Mill-Stars."

 

[CRUSADER]

that is funny, I stood on it to prove it

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Well... a Professional researcher is willing to take a stand on his work. ;-) Sorry, that's a poor joke, but you get the point.

 

[CRUSADER]

Well... a Professional researcher is willing to take a stand on his work. ;-) Sorry, that's a poor joke, but you get the point.

well you missed the point (with your foot)