Wierd nail thingy....panel hook?

NOLA_Ken · Dec 22, 2011

I found this thing today at work. It was loose inside a wall of an 1880's house here. When I first saw it I thought it was just another iron nail until I saw the "head" of it. I remember seeing similar peices called paneling hooks that were used to attach wood to brick or masonry, but those all had nail holes in the heads and this one doesn't, and it was nowhere near any brick. The head is about 3/4" x 1 1/2" and the thing would be 3" long if it weren't bent.

I've torn into the walls of countless old houses and I've seen all manner of wrought nails, but this one has me stumped. Thanks for looking!

stefen · Dec 22, 2011

If you set the flat end vertically against a wall, with hook portion sticking outward, you might have a curtain rod hook or maybe a coat hook...

Roger Mn. · Dec 22, 2011

The nail was probably machine made and came from the factory that way.
Sometimes you get odd nails in boxes today.

NOLA_Ken · Dec 23, 2011

rodgerdodger said:
The nail was probably machine made and came from the factory that way.
Sometimes you get odd nails in boxes today.

I suppose that's a possibility, I know I've gotten all kinds of weird defect nails in boxes over the years. It just really looks like it was made that way on purpose.

stefan, I see what you mean but it seems too crude for that kind of use, it's definitely not decorative at all.

Roland58 · Dec 23, 2011

My guess is that someone took a regular nail, bent it and hammered the end flat to serve the purpose he had in mind......maybe a putty spoon?

worldtalker · Dec 23, 2011

Ken,Munchkin golfclub?? :laughing7:

God Bless Chris

aka da Prof · Dec 23, 2011

yup, the darndest things come outta walls-( 1/2 'Butcher' chisel found in my house). My question is of that white residue - does it seem as if it was set into brick, if any brick work was in that wall? Or might have been set into the plaster lath. or is it from just sitting in the over flow plaster on the sill plate. As said, it could be 'specialty tool' that was no longer needed.

NOLA_Ken · Mar 10, 2012

Bumping this one back up, I just found another of these things inside the wall of a completely different house. So Now I'm wondering again. I'll post a pic of them both together when I put batteries in my camera.

Lafitte Deux · Mar 11, 2012

It looks like half of a wire staple. Probably a mis-cast in the box that was tossed by the electrician.

NOLA_Ken · Mar 12, 2012

well the second one I just found was driven into a stud, so it definitely did something at one time :dontknow:

Bigcypresshunter · Mar 12, 2012

Lafitte Deux said:
It looks like half of a wire staple. Probably a mis-cast in the box that was tossed by the electrician.

NOLA_Ken said:
well the second one I just found was driven into a stud, so it definitely did something at one time

I can see it being a staple for wire. The one still in the stud may have been broken when the old wire was removed.

Do an experiment to see if it can be hammered in a stud as is.