1 hour ago, Ralph Allen Jones said:

Since I have dealt in hardwood sales and before the idiot stick for finding BF it was used to turn the board up on edge for easier handling. Some timbers are hard to pick up without it.

I think we have a winner...

31 minutes ago, Stick486 said:

I think we have a winner...

That is the first winner.Congrats Ralph

22 hours ago, John Morris said:

What kind of wire Bill?

 

Sorry, I should have specified barbed wire.

 

I disagree that it is too small for this application. As a kid I used to use two claw hammers to restretch wire from wood post to wood post. I would hook the claw onto the wire and using the head against the post to pull it taught, then use the other to reset the staple.

 

The way the head is configured it is designed to lever against something while the "hook" is engaged.

Edited December 3, 20169 yr by schnewj

I agree with Bill in the function,but not the application, The wedges on the top of the hammer are for a cam ing action and the straps  down the handle is to keep the head from breaking off from the handle.

Bill is correct on the hammers for pulling barbed wire, I have used that method too along with the fencing pliers have a rounded end for that also. This hammer has no way to grab wire unless it was twisted into a loop, and barbed wire is hard to make a loop. The barb on the horns make me think it was more for tightening chain, or pulling staples, there is not much doubt in my mind it is made for prying something.

Herb

On ‎12‎/‎2‎/‎2016 at 7:16 PM, It Was Al B said:

Could be a tool for rotating timbers, probably at a sawmill mill or at a work site when cutting the joinery for post and beam construction. Just a wild guess.

 I'll have to agree with Al & Ralph, this answer seems to explain the reason for the long steel wedges that protects the sides of the handle. 

Used by a cooper to set the barrel rings.  Metal on side of handle in case it slipped under the ring while drawing the slats closed.

 

I'm not sold on the rolling timber tool idea. All due respect to friend Ralph, he may have used it for that purpose, but I am thinking that was not the original purpose of this tool.

First off, look at the spike ends, you'd have to have a ton of force to drive those ends into a timber to get them to stick, then to grab it to roll it.

Also, timber rolling or lumber tools typically have a longer handle so the user does not have to bend over all day long.

And, whey the barbed ends of the hammer spikes?

If a hammer was truly made for rolling timber, it would have a longer handle, sharper spikes to get into the lumber, and it would not be double headed like that, IMHO.

Don't get me wrong John, when I said timbers I was referring to 8 -12 quarter boards and not logs. The tools for turning them were called cants or kants in some locals, and had a long handle for ease of turning the logs.

2 minutes ago, Ralph Allen Jones said:

Don't get me wrong John, when I said timbers I was referring to 8 -12 quarter boards and not logs. The tools for turning them were called cants or kants in some locals, and had a long handle for ease of turning the logs.

I was thinking the same Ralph, I kind of knew what you were talking about. To best get a clear picture of how you used this tool, if you explain how it was used, how you swung it, and how you made contact and moved the lumber with it, perhaps that would give us a better idea of what we have here? Thanks Ralph, as always.

There is no shortage of odd shaped hammers out there.

 

 

Here is another link. 

 

http://www.collectorsweekly.com/tools-and-hardware/hammers/stories

 

 

2 hours ago, HandyDan said:

There is no shortage of odd shaped hammers out there.

those look like mostly tinner's and riveting hammers...

39 minutes ago, Stick486 said:

those look like mostly tinner's and riveting hammers...

 

Did you check out the link below the picture?  That is just a sampling of what one can find.  Don't rule out auto body hammer either.

10 minutes ago, HandyDan said:

Don't rule out auto body hammer either.

I didn't...

they come under tinner's hammers...

Ice climbing tool called an ice axe

 

5 minutes ago, Cliff said:

Ice climbing tool called an ice axe

 

Now that makes sense, They used to use ice extensively during those times. It is not all too common a tool as there doesn't seem to be any references to it. I have looked at thousands of pictures of hammers on the internet and not seen a duplicate or any similar ones. the only one that comes close is the one that @HandyDan showed of the coopers ads with a hook on the other side,but not a barbed point. It is some specialized tool.

 

I can envision working in an ice plant using one of those to move the blocks of ice around.

 

Herb

Sorry, Herb, but I'm old enough to have seen ice cut on rivers and lakes, and at no time was it hit with anything. That would have caused the blocks to shatter, defeating the purpose. Blocks were always handled with ice tongs.

John

18 minutes ago, HARO50 said:

Sorry, Herb, but I'm old enough to have seen ice cut on rivers and lakes, and at no time was it hit with anything. That would have caused the blocks to shatter, defeating the purpose. Blocks were always handled with ice tongs.

John

So, does this make you old as ice then?

Not quite, Dave.

John

In the sixties they were still cutting ice in northern Ontario and storing it in root cellars, covered with sawdust. I've seen ice in these cellars in AUGUST!

4 minutes ago, HARO50 said:

Not quite, Dave.

John

In the sixties they were still cutting ice in northern Ontario and storing it in root cellars, covered with sawdust. I've seen ice in these cellars in AUGUST!

But technically John, you are from the "ice age" right? 

I remember the ice houses by the lake in the early 40's here in MA. They were gone by the mid 40's.