Tool Talk
What's-It Forum => What's-It Forum => Topic started by: superzstuff on May 11, 2012, 10:29:59 AM
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Bought another wall hanger! This is definitely blacksmith made, but for what. Openings are 1 3/4" and 1 5/8" square and wrench is 15" long. This is probably the oldest wrench in my collection, so far.
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I am not saying that it is old but i bet they used them on stone wheels LOL BOB W.
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I've read that the first wrenches were made like yours. But like any shop made tool I don't know how you can tell when in it was made. Could be centuries old or just a few years.
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Maybe a clue to its age could be found in where it was located/found?
I agree with Bus, that could be either end of the age spectrum. If I knew what one would sell for, I'd make a few!!!
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From the look of that iron, it looks grainy, is probably wrought iron. Wrought iron isn't readily available today, but I have enough that I could duplicate that wrench given some time. However, the shaping, the squareness and those hammer welds, tells me this was done by a very accomplished smith, someone that worked at it every day, and those guys started getting scarce about in the 1950s. The fact that a very good smith spent the time making it says it was very necessary to someone, and in those sizes I am guessing it was for buggy and light wagon wheel axle nuts. Could also been something in a factory, pump house or who knows what. Most of the time in the distant past, before the local hardware started carrying adjustable Coes wrenches, first a smith would make a nut, thread it, then make a wrench to fit it. It also had value to a whole bunch of people that decided to keep it down through the decades, even after the usage it was created was forgotten. It is a very interesting wrench.
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Thanks for all the thoughts. I bought it at auction in a box of tools that looked to have been dug. I had to clean dirt and loose rust off all of them, but this one wasn't rusted as bad as some. I just like the looks of this one.
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My opinion is about the same as John's. Good smith work. Looks like wrought iron. It might help to know what else was in the box -- some families stay together... I couldn't have passed this one up if I found it in the wild.
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Here is what I have left from the box lot. I sold an axe head and a chain swivel. The pick tool on the right may have been made by same blacksmith as the wrench since it has the wrap-a-round weld like ends of wench. Just wish the 1930 NC tag was in better shape.
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The one on the left (Don't know what its called) and the one on the right (pickaroon?) + an axe and a chain swivel makes me think logging.
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The one on the left (Don't know what its called) and the one on the right (pickaroon?) + an axe and a chain swivel makes me think logging.
Me too. Yes, that's a pickaroon on the right. How the wrench fit into that group, or if it fit, is a mystery still.
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The piece on the left with the chain link, wasn't it one of a pair driven into a log to pull it? The one in the middle, I do not have a clue. Looks like it fit on the end of a pole?