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What's this tool?

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antique tools axe hatchet what is it
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28K views 44 replies 22 participants last post by  swirt  
#1 ·
Marking Hatchet?

This odd hand axe belonged to my Great Grandfather (Living in Swain NY in the first half of the 1900's). He was a farmer, ran a small saw mill and made maple syrup among many other things. This hatchet may have been connected to one of these activities. If anyone knows more about this particular marking axe, I'd enjoy hearing about it.

The axe is just over 12" in length. Has a 2" rounded blade that is not sharp and appears to never have had a bevel applied to it. The iron looks hand forged (not mass produced). The handle seems rather slender for a hatchet, or even a hammer of this size. The end opposite the blade makes a stamp of "T5" if struck on a piece of wood. The only other noteworthy part about it's condition is that the handle near the iron head has some charring all the way around it.

My guess is that it may have been used for marking lumber or logs, though the wimpy blade makes me think it might have been used for something softer than wood.










Any ideas what this was used for? Is T5 an old grade of wood or timber?
 
#3 ·
as you say it cuold be fpor marking logs as a persenly stamp
I have seen sommething like this in Denmark when they
walk in the forest in summertime and mark those trees
they has to cut down in the winther they mark it with
a painted X and the mark to tell that this is one there has to be feld

cuold also bee one to mark those holes in marpletrees where they
draw syrup from to tell other people this is my tree stay away
 
#4 ·
That might make sense that the blade is for removing a small bit of bark. It doesn't seem suited for doing much more than that.
 
#6 ·
I'm not a feller, just a regular fellow ;-)) Sorry, I just couldn't resist!! That is what it looks like to me, a log marking tool.
 
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#7 ·
Thanks fellers …errr fellas. I've kept an eye out at antique shops, other places where i buy old tools and various internet sources and haven't found anything to match it. It's not really a useful tool and maybe thats what gnaws at my curiousity about it.
 
#8 ·
Somebody named Dan left this comment on my other blog. I copied it here because it addressed the question I asked and was pretty helpful. Thanks Dan, I appreciate the information.

Dan wrote:
Your hatchet with the hammer side showing T5 is for marking logs as they leave the woods and come to a mill. Sometimes the mill would have them as well to mark that they had been scaled and in the inventory.

US Forest Service still uses them, but without the hatchet which was for checking rot in the logs and shaving a flat spot if needed to stamp the T5.

DD
 
#10 ·
Wooden Paddles

My Great Uncle was a carpenter back in the 1930's. I recently had the chance to go through his old toolbox and marvel at some of the old tools. Most of them I could figure out, but these two have me scratching my head.
They are wooden paddles. One with a straight wedge design (the lighter colored one) and the other has a slight curve to it. The handles have a lot of patina so they saw a lot of use, but there is no heavy wear or damage to the paddles themselves that would indicate lots of pounding or abrasion.

The tri-square blade in the photo is 6" long


Anyone recognize them for what they might be?

Here is the rest of the look inside the old toolbox for anyone that has a fascination with old woodworking tools.
 
#26 ·
Circle Cutter

Back in my Great Uncle's Old toolbox (he was a finish carpenter in the 1930's) I found this odd circle marking / cutting device that is used in a brace.

(The tri-square in the photo is 6" long)
The arms are fully adjustable in length from roughly a 1/2" radius out to ~3" So it could mark out a circle out to about 6" in diameter. Given the design, the outer edge of the circle could never be less than ~1 1/2" in radius.

The center post (pivot) has no threads on it and is tapered, so it could fit into a small hole, but could not make the hole deeper (so it is not like a drill).

The ends of the pointed arms are sharpened so it is designed to cut when moving in a circular arc.

I did find a few of these on ebay and they were identified as leather washer cutters. I am not sure if this is accurate or not. It would make sense that it was intended to cut something thin, like leather, because it could not drill deeper on its own. What I haven't been able to wrap my brain around is why there would be a need for leather washers that large. (who needs a 6" diameter leather washer??) And more importantly why would a finish carpenter in the 1930's need to make leather washers on the job site?

One idea occurred to me that it may have been intended for making leather washers, but he may have re-purposed it for scribing circles on a surface (like a plaster wall) and then used a compass saw to cut the circle out. Today it could probably cut the hole in drywall with no problem, but in the 1930's walls were plaster and lathe, which would not cut well with this tool by itself.

Anyone know what big leather washers were used for or have other ideas why this would have been in his toolbox? Thanks in advance for any help provided in working out this little puzzle.

Again anyone interested in old tools can read the rest of my look inside the old carpenter's toolbox.
 
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