Hoop driver

[jimwrench]

Can anyone confirm or deny that this is a coopers hoop driver. Don't find any double hoop drivers but believe it would work quite well. May be a nutcdacker for all I know. Just another auction buy with no history to identify usage.

[Lewill2]

Not like any hoop driver I have ever seen.

[mikeswrenches]

I'm with Les, not a hoop driver.

Mike

[Billman49]

Not a hoop driver - maybe a home-made attempt at a flagging iron...

[Aunt Phil]

For those interested in cooperage and the tools of that trade, this is a good starting point.
https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/MCR/article/view/16964/18235

Naturally, there is much more to the trade, but at least this will get you started.

[Branson]

Nope, not a hoop driver.  A hoop driver has a groove in the bottom to rest on the hoop when you're driving it.  There are a number of different designs, some metal, some wood, some wood and metal in various combinations.  But except for the very most primitive forms, all have a groove, and none are forked like what you have.  I guess it could be used like a flagging iron, but it wouldn't be very efficient with those straight ends.

[Branson]

For those interested in cooperage and the tools of that trade, this is a good starting point.
https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/MCR/article/view/16964/18235

Naturally, there is much more to the trade, but at least this will get you started.

This is a very good and rather complete article.  I've downloaded it for my own research.  Thanks for finding and posting the  link!
It's worthy of noting that regardless of the conservatism of the trade, there are quite a few variations by region.  Some variations come from simple evolution of the trade, and invention or modification of tools.  Others seem to be the result of the cooper's trade encountering other fully developed woodworking traditions.  The New Foundland tradition developed  out of the English tradition of coopering and it really shows.