Forged hammer

[superzstuff]

Just what looks like a blacksmith forged crude hammer/pry bar. Wear on handle looks like it was used for a hitch pin or a hinge. Just wondered if it had a specific use.

[BruceS]

Ouch !   That could make the hand tingle on a very cold day !  But it is sweet, nice find.

[Neals]

Looks like wear right next to the head as well as about 3 inches down the handle. I'm guessing it was used as the draw pin to hold the eveners on something horse drawn. Be handy to always have a hammer along.

[Branson]

Lynch pin/hammer combo.   Eric Sloane illustrated one of these in one of his books -- it might be in his A Museum of Early American Tools.

[keykeeper]

+1 on what Branson said.

There are military issue combos like this from the Civil War era, I believe.

[Billman49]

A plough hammer - old horse drawn ploughs often carried a spanner and hammer for adjustment, and this carried through to early trailer ploughs for tractors - the hammer would often double as a linch pin to attach the hitch to the draw-bar - hence the wear marks. So probably early  to mid 20th century...