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Author Topic: Interesting polled hatchet.  (Read 1481 times)

Offline Shreckmeister

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Interesting polled hatchet.
« on: January 27, 2020, 11:33:31 PM »
I can’t find any of these in the reference material I have. 5” overall. Round eye.








« Last Edit: January 28, 2020, 01:28:17 AM by Tim Crosby »
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Offline BOB HILL

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Re: Interesting polled hatchet.
« Reply #1 on: January 28, 2020, 05:30:33 PM »
Neat piece. Somebody may have used as a wedge and compromised the weld.
Bob
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South Carolina Lowcountry

Offline Greg Pennell

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Re: Interesting polled hatchet.
« Reply #2 on: January 28, 2020, 07:27:25 PM »
I know little to nothing about old hatchets, but that one looks OLD. it also looks like it’s welded through the blade, and through the poll...as if it was made from two pieces.  Was this a common construction method?

Greg
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Offline Bull Shannon

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Re: Interesting polled hatchet.
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2020, 01:30:16 PM »
The pole looks to have been peened a bit so it seems to have seen some use. Would like to know it's history too.
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Offline rich pierce

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Re: Interesting polled hatchet.
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2020, 04:01:29 PM »
I think it was made traditionally of one piece. Possibly, thick stock was split then the eye formed and the blade halves welded. It was designed to be a hammer and a hatchet. Construction tool. Very nice but hard to date. By the ears on the eye I’d guess post 1820. Just a guess.
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Andover, Vermont

Offline Greg Pennell

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Re: Interesting polled hatchet.
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2020, 05:51:17 PM »
Thanks, Rich. That makes more sense, construction wise.  I’d guess what I’m seeing is maybe some splitting or tearing in the poll, done as the eye was drifted...or, maybe nothing at all.  Hard to tell from just pictures.  It’s a neat old tool, anyways!

Greg
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Offline rich pierce

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Re: Interesting polled hatchet.
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2020, 06:13:03 PM »
Greg, there is definitely a split there. I’m just guessing!
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Andover, Vermont

Offline Clint

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Re: Interesting polled hatchet.
« Reply #7 on: January 30, 2020, 05:09:18 AM »
Welding a lapped hatchet is pretty easy but as you get up towards the eye, you might tend to go light on the heat so you don't burn the thinner eye. I don't see much distortion in the shape of the eye so I don't think the hatchet was heavily abused. The poll was certainly used as a hammer (shingles?) and the surface texture suggests heavy rusting. That rusting probably occurred in little voids in the lap joint near the eye and as the rust expanded (7X the thickness of the metal that made the rust) the joint opened up and made way for more rust. This phenomena is what shipyards call corrosion jacking. Cool piece.
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Offline Shreckmeister

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Re: Interesting polled hatchet.
« Reply #8 on: February 04, 2020, 04:04:16 PM »
This pic shows the split at the poll/eye



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Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.

Offline rich pierce

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Re: Interesting polled hatchet.
« Reply #9 on: February 04, 2020, 04:18:32 PM »
That picture makes me wonder all over s again how it was made. Seeing the poll as separating there. Can’t figure how they did it or how the poll could be reliably welded on as a separate piece. Probably not.
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Andover, Vermont
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