Metal detector

Whiteside county  in Erie along the rock river

Thanks for the help everyone , I found this in north west Illinois. I metal detected a historic farm where the first pioneers of this county first build wooden shacks.  The "Simmons Broad Axe Cohoes NY number 6" picture that Marc1 posted looks like an exact match. This is very exciting because the first pioneers came to this county from New York and settled here in 1830's.There is no way to prove that it was lost by the early pioneers but it matches up with the history of the place I detected. Thanks for the help guys

I don't blacksmith, I  am a metal detector who has an account here just to make use of the members expertise.  I found this hatchet metal detecting and I want to know

1) is it  possible to place a date on it?

2) what type of work was it used for?

3) was it made by a blacksmith?

4) is there a specific name of its shape and style?

5) any other information that you can pass on

thanks for the help

Now that we"re at it, how about these things? does anyone know what these things are?

Thank for the help everyone,  The machine cut but hand headed explanation seems plausible in this situation. Every nail head is irregular and mushroom shaped.  The reason why I am interested in nails is because I think these could have been used by the early pioneers of this state. Thanks again

58 minutes ago, jeremy k said:

How do you determine these are from the narrow timeline of 1850-1860?

Nails of all sizes, and possibly an axel type re-enforcement plate?

I have an old plat map from 1870 showing the farm property and structure/barn. People started showing up in the county in the 1850's so I guessing it is in that range

I found these things metal detecting.  I came here to ask you guys to have a look at the nails and give me your thoughts on wheather or not they are hand made. I heard that square nails were machine made all through the 18th century. These nails however are are so dissimilar in size and shape that I think that they might have been hand made my some one who was a builder but not a skilled blacksmith.

Also, does anyone have any idea what the iron diamond with 4 holes is? 

thanks for the help. I have a feeling this stuff is from the 1850-1860's

 Thanks for the replies.  It was a soy bean field last year but the  farm goes back to the 1800's. The crops grown back then were wheat, corn and hay.

So do you think those rings are cast iron or hammered?

I find a lot of old iron while  metal detecting and I always wonder what it is. I made myself an account here because I think you guys would be the ones to know. My questions are

1) What are these little iron circles. They are completely flat on the back and were found in a grain field. 

2) What was this spike used for? I can't imagine hammering that into wood with out splitting it.

3) Do you see those two little toes on the bend piece of iron? Is that a cutting technique I find a lot of iron with 2 toes?

Any ideas?  thanks for the help