WHATSIT 12/18/12

[amertrac]

12 IN LONG 1/2 IN ROD WOTH A SPEARLIKE ON ONE END. THE TIP OF THE SPEARHEAD IS BENT OVER BUT IT WAS MADE THAT WAY THE SPEAR HEAD IS SHAPED LIKE A CLOSED TILIP . THE HEAD IS RIBBED ON ONE SIDE. REMINDS ME OF A METAL FENCE SPIKE.I HAVE PICS BUT I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH POSTING THEM i WILL TRY LATER 

[amertrac]

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g208/amertrac/GEDC1690_zps8eabdbb9.jpg

[lbgradwell]

No idea!

[anglesmith]

My guess is a picket from a hand made grave plot fence, probably wrought iron.
Graeme

[amertrac]

there doesn;t appear to have any marks where a ctoss bar was fastened . bob w.

[anglesmith]

The ones I've seen out here were low simple ones with the rods just passing through the flat railings. This is the closest image I can find.http://www.google.com.au/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&biw=1230&bih=615&tbm=isch&tbnid=Ml_DbR2375MCFM:&imgrefurl=http://endangereddurham.blogspot.com/2011/02/joseph-holloway-house.html&docid=WqvAxSA750NcFM&imgurl=http://www.endangereddurham.org/Photos/JosephHolloway_graves_022311.jpg&w=832&h=528&ei=CRjRUNSqEO-fiAeF-4CYAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=909&vpy=117&dur=2749&hovh=179&hovw=282&tx=109&ty=129&sig=111483174571860924298&page=4&tbnh=133&tbnw=242&start=74&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:99,s:0,i:391
Graeme
Don't know why the url so long?

[john k]

It is a forged leaf, from a blacksmith.  May have been part of a plot fence.  Make them to bend into a wall hook, the leaf is done first.  Ribbed on one side, possibly crudely done veins in the leaf?

[Branson]

Could you post a picture of the "ribbed" side?  It might be, as John suggested, a forged leaf.  On the other hand, the 1841 mountain howitzer smith's tools included a tool much like this (identical in shape, but 15 1/2 inches long) which is listed as the poker for working the fire.  If there are no marks indicating yours was attached to something, I suspect a poker for a small forge is what you have.  I might be interested in it if you can part with it.