# Does anyone know what this is?



## Gibernak (May 6, 2013)

I hope some of u know old tools, cause im wondering if you know what this is. I picked it up north of Copenhagen, while bying some old chisels.

Its a slap of very old wood and hard like stone with a cobber insert like it was ment for spinning. 
and it has markings


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

a pully


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## MrFid (Mar 9, 2013)

Concur with Purplev


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## vikingcape (Jan 3, 2013)

My family are commercial fisherman and my grandfather has an old one that looks similar. It is the inside wheel to the block (pulley to the land person).


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## Gibernak (May 6, 2013)

Ofc, that makes sens, (So it not an ancient yoyo  as it initially thought) Thank you for the respons


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## redSLED (Mar 21, 2013)

I'm calling BS on the pulley. That is indeed a Viking children's yoyo.


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## jbald (Dec 11, 2011)

I believe Swede is right on. This appears to be an antique nautical sheave (pulley wheel) made from Lignum Vita that would have run inside a block. The bronze bushing was known as a "coak" (as in a "coak'd sheave") and was clinched in place by rivets. A coak'd sheave (required by Naval specifications) was far superior to plain sheaves which rotated directly on the pin.

The thickness and diameter of this sheave indicates the size of line it was designed for. This could probably identify it's probable locations aboard an 18th century sailing vessel. The sheave appears worn-out and the block I'm sure is long gone? The markings are a mystery but probably easily explained by any nautical historian .

Lines or sheets are"reeved" through the block and around the "sheaves" (Old English nautical terms borrowed from Vikings no doubt (as in stearboard/starboard etc)


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## BigYin (Oct 14, 2011)

Markings - Britlish military broadhead ? So might be British Naval ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broad_arrow


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## rustythebailiff (Jan 31, 2013)

BigYin, I thought that too at first. But, usually they only bothered to mark it once, and there are three on this example. Plus, I noticed that they all seem to be pointing to something, two to holes and one to a depression. I am wondering if they were more for marking which mounting holes went where, a primitive "Insert slot A into Hole B"


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## Charlie5791 (Feb 21, 2012)

I've seen old bolts that were stamped on both the shaft and the head with the broad arrow. I agree that it's usually only seen once, but it does happen occasionally that it appears more than once on a single item. In this case the coak and sheave are 2 pieces that may have been marked separately before being assembled, but 2 marks on the coak itself is a bit of a head scratcher. I wouldn't discard the idea of the marks being a broad arrow just because they appear more than once. It's not real common maybe, but also not unheard of.

Also… the 4-lobe coak is not usually for rigging. Those were mainly 2 or 3 lobe. The 4 lobe was more likely found in something seeing heavier duty like a block for loading/unloading or even used on heavy cannon.

Regardless, it's a very interesting piece and even just speculating on what it MIGHT have been used for is fun. Definitely a coak'd sheave though and in relatively nice condition. I've seen some come up from wrecks that were nearly unrecognizable.


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## Gibernak (May 6, 2013)

I found this on the internet, its the inside wheel of a sheave and its been in water for a long time, but it looks similar with the markings and all and its bronze. (mine could be bronze to) So u guys are right on. the markings must in some help assembling the sheave?


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## LokisTyro (Apr 19, 2013)

Yours looks like bronze as well.


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## jbald (Dec 11, 2011)

This is getting very interesting…

OK I've found the exact coak castings on sheaves from HMS Victory (1765, refit 1809) "http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/63559.html" This would indicate that your sheave was probably made in the same factory or foundry in England.

The markings are still a mystery but perhaps not…A good guess would be the Bilbies foundry of Collumpton Co., Devon. The company maintained two factories from 1698 t0 1813. The "D" incised in the wood identifys it from the Devon foundry. The arrows are most likely the company stamp/logo or marks indicating it's assignment to government /royal consignment. It is known as "The Broad Arrow" and is seen on cannon, bells and a lot of foundry items

A call to A. Dauphinee & Sons Ltd. Nova Scotia (re-manufacturers of historic blocks and hardware) suggests the marks are Royal Navy.

This is a very old relic, do not use as door stop!


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## jbald (Dec 11, 2011)

Well the "broad arrow" or "crows feet" are definitely "Crown Government Property". It's found on everything from bolts and screws to colonial timber in American designated for Royal Navy use. Unauthorized possession of crown property on the high seas was grounds for confiscation of any or all personal property including the vessel. The culprits could be pressed into service on the spot. Hence everything was branded (and redundantly so)


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## mattjrogers (Jan 2, 2013)

You also probably have a piece of Lignum Vitae wood there as it was the most common and best wood to use for sheaves and blocks at that time. You mentioned that it was very hard and very heavy, plus the color fits. Very rare wood these days and expensive to get a hold of. It is sold by the pound, not even by the board foot and I think that it is the second heaviest wood out there.


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## jbald (Dec 11, 2011)

Another guess on the "D" marking may associate this particular sheave to the HMS Defiance which was shot to pieces and grounded during the Battle of Copenhagen 1801. The Defiance was a 74 gun, ship-of-the-line and "flagship of Rear Admiral Thomas Graves, with Captain Retallick commanding". She utilized nearly 1000 blocks in her running rigging and gunnery.

Her assigned station during the action on April 2nd, placed her directly abreast of the Copenhagen shore battery and continuous cross-fire. After Defiance was knocked out-of-action, Vice-admiral Horatio Nelson continued the fight against orders and the battle was won. Nelson reportedly held the telescope up to his blind eye and never saw the flag, signaling him to withdraw. Perhaps this was a war souvenir pulled from the harbor or beach?

This sheave and thousands like it. were manufactured in the Portsmouth Naval yard and block mill. After 1805 custom steam-driven iron machinery turned out 130,000 per year in production-line fashion. This is an example of perhaps the first modern machine processes at the very dawn of the industrial revolution.


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## robscastle (May 13, 2012)

My 2 cents worth.

Many years ago I was a Naval Inspector (that's Naval not Navel) and spent many hours stamping material that was for production to a specific standard.

I am not saying this is correct but put forward the following comment,
The broad arrow denotes admiralty origin, be it Australian or British.
The markings "may" denote the Inspectors ID stamp and possibly the grade of material.

As Jim notes it also identified it as government property, and still used today in the marking of vehicle tyres for one example. So if you had a 4WD with tyres on it and a broad arrow in the side wall better have a good explanation!!

As to what the item actually is I can only suggest it was originally government owned, be it whatever it is


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## LeeBarker (Aug 6, 2010)

What a strange and wonderful thread! Thanks everyone who is contributing; this is absolutely fascinating. This is an amazing community of people. I am thankful to be here.

Kindly,

Lee


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Lignum Vitae doesn't float as I recall. I wouldn't be able to
contain my curiosity and it would go straight in the water
to test if it were mine.


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

That wouldn't exactly be a fair test since it has that copper insert, would it?


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

Wow, this is an interesting history lesson!


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## kaerlighedsbamsen (Sep 16, 2013)

Love the thought Jom Baldwin brings up that this can actualy be from the battle of Copenhagen in 1801! 
- Amazing what a picture of a round thingie can bring up in the right forum..


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

Looks to me like a sheave for a block. The 30- looks like it was made with a magic marker. It could be a price that was put on it by the seller.


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## jbald (Dec 11, 2011)

The incised "D"and the broad arrow are obviously hand-cut as you can plainly see when comparing it to the "DR-94" sheave. This effectively dates this sheave prior to 1805 since after that, all such marking were machine cut.

There were at least 30 British warships engaged in the 1801 battle and within Copenhagen harbor and most were severely damaged. Several had gone aground including HMS Defiance and Elephant, Lord Nelson's flagship. Three of the other capital ships of the line had lost all maneuverability as their rigging had been shot away. The harbor and shoreline were awash in flotsam and jetsam . Despite the heavy losses and damage, the Battle of Copenhagen was a decisive British Crown victory and part of the "Nelson" legacy and legend. The infamous Captain William Bligh of "Mutiny on the Bounty" was also there in command of a vessel.

I love salty stories…
http://www.britishbattles.com/waterloo/battle-copenhagen.htm


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## C_PLUS_Woodworker (Jun 10, 2010)

I have one almost identical

http://lumberjocks.com/topics/49750

And, I agree with Lee Barker above.

What a fascinating group of people with such varied experiences and expertise frequent this site.

Adds much to my life.


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