Really weird hammer

[rusty]

Never seen one of these...ever....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Old-Macadam-Nappan-Knocker-Hammer-1-lb-8-oz-TW-Rare-/130645712177?_trksid=p4340.m1374&_trkparms=algo%3DPI.WATCH%26its%3DC%252BS%26itu%3DUCC%26otn%3D15%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D6333336519927724690

[amertrac]

very interesting  bob w.

[anglesmith]

Surley its some sort of" testing" or maybe a flint napping hammer? But I can't imagine someone sitting in the middle of the road breaking stone into 3/4" gravel size pieces with 1,1/2lb thin handled hammer! Does nappan = napping?
Graeme

[johnsironsanctuary]

I think that it is an anesthetic for cows at the slaughterhouse.

[Branson]

I'm pretty sure that this is a stone carving mallet.

[johnsironsanctuary]

I don't think so Branson. The close up shows a rough cast iron texture. Unless it is unused, the head would have marks from thumping on hardened chisels.

[keykeeper]

I've seen them listed in old catalogs as macadamizing hammers as well.

[lazyassforge]

I didn't think the answer about the hammer being used to make gravel was right! So I searched and found this site with a print of people using simular hammers to make gravel! I was wrong!

http://www.semp.us/publications/biot_reader.php?BiotID=484

Interesting, How long did it take them to pave a mile?

Hope this helps, Bill D.

[Papaw]

I knew about macadam roads from studies in history, even to the resulting tarmac roads later, but never knew the full story until now.
Thanks for that link!

[Branson]

I don't think so Branson. The close up shows a rough cast iron texture. Unless it is unused, the head would have marks from thumping on hardened chisels.

Just to point out, if it was used to break up stone, as apparently it was  (I should have looked at the rest of the pictures) it would have had marks from thumping on stone -- quartz is a good deal harder (70 Rockwell) than most chisels.

[johnsironsanctuary]

But not from limestone or other soft aggregates.