The slots are 9/16 inches deep. They are 3/16, 1/4 and 3/8 inches wide. Any help would be appreciated. Alan

I want to say reforging star drills.

Put your stock in it and use the matching "wrench" to shear off bar?

Toe calks.

Old horse shoes that required toe calks (sharp for winter use on ice or blunt for agricultural field use) had rivet pegs on back of them to be upset into holes on a shoe or other times were just welded on. Either way a die swage tool like that was a necessary tool to get that done. Oftentimes such dies can be seen on old foot operated calking vices as well.

 

Nice score ;) 

 

Any chance it might be for sale?

George

what he said!

The depth of knowledge on this board never ceases to amaze me.

what amazes me is.. where does he keep finding these strange hardy tools :)

Steve, there's a lot more where that came from!

Post em !!! please

I don't agree with the toe calks idea because those swages are normally tapered they don't have parallel sides.  Also the slots are very deep. Though this tool appears to be a shop made tool so it could be what that particular smith liked to use.  I have seen more than one star drill swage and they all had parallel sides and were deeper than they were wide.

Timothy Miller, I'm not that familiar with star drill swages.  I assumed they were shaped like the end of the star drill itself.  How would the tool that I have be used to straighten or sharpen a star drill?  Any pictures or other information would be appreciated.  Thanks, Alan.

I don't know what it was used for, but it looks like it would be a handy tool to have for holding thinish sections when twisting them, just drop into slot, and twist at required length and using tongs or twisting bar, particularly useful for long sections as you can easily move the bar along.

I have almost an exact match to it which I will try to post a photo of. I agree with the member who thinks that caulking swages are usually ‘V’ shaped. Larger single slot versions of this swage are quite common. I had guessed that they might be used in spring shops to make short right angle bends in the ends of leaf springs? – just a thought.

Went out to the shop to get a shot – sorry about the poor detail. Mine was not as similar as I had thought but similar none the less. It appears sawn from a solid block rather than forged and has one large central slot and five narrower slots running from it to the sides. The single slot swage is forged and the closest swage is for caulking horse shoes.

Timothy Miller, I'm not that familiar with star drill swages.  I assumed they were shaped like the end of the star drill itself.  How would the tool that I have be used to straighten or sharpen a star drill?  Any pictures or other information would be appreciated.  Thanks, Alan.

The slot gives clearance so the two sides can be drawn out on the flats of swage.  This tool would be used with a corresponding top tool.  If you tried to use it as a true swage the iron would upset into the slot and get wedged into place. this is why caulking swages have sloped sides. 

Went out to the shop to get a shot – sorry about the poor detail. Mine was not as similar as I had thought but similar none the less. It appears sawn from a solid block rather than forged and has one large central slot and five narrower slots running from it to the sides. The single slot swage is forged and the closest swage is for caulking horse shoes.

Correct, the forged single slot one on the right is also for horseshoeing. That block is used for making what's known as a tool and fuller shoe. Is seldom seen in this country outside of competitions but is a pretty common shoe in England and Ireland.

George

Correct, the forged single slot one on the right is also for horseshoeing. That block is used for making what's known as a tool and fuller shoe. Is seldom seen in this country outside of competitions but is a pretty common shoe in England and Ireland.

George

 

What's a tool and fuller shoe? It's not something I've ever heard of.

What's a tool and fuller shoe? It's not something I've ever heard of.

Have a look here:

Gives a good look at the swage block too. He only gets it about half done but it'll give you the general idea.

For more pictures of such shoes come visit the horseshoers forum ;)

George

Here's another one of them being made and used in a competition but do yourself a favor and turn your sound down if you watch this one:

George

I believe in the UK and Ireland that would be generally known as a concave shoe. The fuller referred to in the titles refers to what you might know better as a creaser or creasing tool. 

My first thought was a "wing swage" for the so-called star drill. In the old days the star portion was a hand forging operation done by upsetting and hot splitting to obtain the four wings (flanges). One wing dropped into the slot while the other two were forged on the block, etc., etc. Lots of careful sanding and file finishing. Nowadays, on hollow drill stock, we have screw-on star ends to go along with our throw away culture.

 

Sayings and Cornpone

"I wish I was half as good as he thinks he is."

     anonymous

I have never seen concave bar made with a hardy swage before; It seems surplus to requirement, when you can just concave a bar by knocking one of the corners off. Is it a new thing? 

I believe in the UK and Ireland that would be generally known as a concave shoe. The fuller referred to in the titles refers to what you might know better as a creaser or creasing tool. 

Essentially it's making your own concave. I'd venture to guess there was probably a time when that type section wasn't always mass produced in factories so it needed to be handmade.

 

I have never seen concave bar made with a hardy swage before; It seems surplus to requirement, when you can just concave a bar by knocking one of the corners off. Is it a new thing? 

To my knowledge no. I believe it's a very old traditional British shoe. Concave is as you say tapered on one side. This stuff is sort of trapezoidal in cross section so is a bit different. Traditionally on fronts they'll fuller all the way around but on hinds they'll leave the toe unswaged as you see. Makes for a really nice looking job.

George

Interesting but not clear how this relates to the hardy at the top of this thread?

Interesting but not clear how this relates to the hardy at the top of this thread?

 

It doesn't. It relates to the one of the hardies in the picture that you posted.

 

Concerning the hardy in the first post, I might suggest that it was for making/dressing the corner on certain cutting tools, such s scythes and sickles, but the block is too broad to accommodate the curve these tools have. I am skeptical that either of the hardies discussed have a use in making horseshoes. Too deep, wrong shape, to my eye.