Tool Talk

Blacksmith and Metal Working Forum => Blacksmith and Metalworking Forum => Topic started by: Mac53 on April 23, 2012, 12:30:31 PM

Title: What in the world was this made for??
Post by: Mac53 on April 23, 2012, 12:30:31 PM

I grabbed this off ebay recently. It was going at a pretty reasonable price, and I just had to have it for the mystery factor.

I'm pretty sure this is a stake and not a hardy due to the tapered shaft and one other give away... The shaft is just under 4" long and the end is slightly mushroomed. ~4" is pretty common for a swage block.

The point isn't sharp enough to be for cut off, and is worn down more on one side. The bottom edge of the table appears well worn.

(http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j132/thehighlandsking/mysterystake1.jpg)
(http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j132/thehighlandsking/mysterystake2.jpg)
(http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j132/thehighlandsking/mysterystake3.jpg)
(http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j132/thehighlandsking/mysterystake4.jpg)
(http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j132/thehighlandsking/mysterystake5.jpg)

Any thoughts? It is just so odd, surely it had a specific purpose.

Title: Re: What in the world was this made for??
Post by: Neals on April 23, 2012, 02:42:04 PM

I seen a guy using something similar to put the groove in horseshoes where the nail heads go.

Title: Re: What in the world was this made for??
Post by: Mac53 on April 23, 2012, 07:46:58 PM

That hadn't crossed my mind at all! Interesting.... Do farriers typically use stakes\swages?  How was he using it?

Title: Re: What in the world was this made for??
Post by: Neals on April 23, 2012, 11:28:26 PM

What I know about blacksmithing you could write on the back of a business card. As I remember it sat in the hardy hole in his anvil. He grabbed the shoe and held it on the swadge and hit it with a hammer. He was known locally as a good man with plow shares but to crude for most other things. What impressed me was that he managed to do a staight line working blind. He retired when I was about 10 years old so the memory might be a fuzzy.

Title: Re: What in the world was this made for??
Post by: Branson on April 24, 2012, 07:59:16 AM

It's some kind of special use hardie, one I've never seen before.  I find it difficult to imagine it being used for setting the groove in a horse shoe.  Did the fellow groove them first, and then curve them to shape?  "Creasers" are made for this purpose. 

See: http://stockhoffsonline.com/acatalog/Creasers_Fullers.html

It's more likely for decorative iron work.  ABANA might be able to identify it.