July 16, 20179 yr It's the T in the centre of the triangle that makes the A. I was think your bang on the money there scrambler!
July 16, 20179 yr Just out of intense curiosity I have searched online for everything I could think of...even tried to see if it was a weird mooring bollard/bit. Nothing has come up. It has no hardy or pritchel holes and has a very narrow base. I can't figure out what use would require such a strange shape. I searched what I could on the Cape Ann Tool Co. and found that they made lots of tools for the granite industry next door and originally started as a blacksmith shop. They had a 100 ton drop forge and that "thing" appears to be forged and not cast (just based on the stamped maker's mark). I really would like to figure that thing out. It's officially driving me nuts.
July 17, 20179 yr Agreed, the narrowness of the waist is a real conundrum. It just doesn't look like it was made to be beat on in an industrial way despite the fact that it is so thick on top. Deep down I feel like this was originally a bollard for mooring a ship. It may have been on deck of a large ship.
July 17, 20179 yr I'd expect to see some good sized mounting holes in the feet for that use. Of course I have a bollard in my shop for armouring and it had several very lare and long bolts going from the top middle down under the base. They are rusted in place
July 17, 20179 yr I thought the base looked too flimsy for that purposes and an hour of searching online didn't produce a bollard even close to similar...but I couldn't find an anvil even partly resembling it either. I even peruse a bunch of copies of Iron Age on Google Books if they had certain key terms I was looking for. In the dark, deep down I know there is an answer I just haven't found yet because I haven't asked the right questions. The makers mark isn't the key but I can't verify its meaning. I know now this is a pointless exercise but I do so enjoy this type of hunt.
July 17, 20179 yr It looks to me like both end could possible been the same in the beginning and one side is a lot more worn from use? It's hard to tell from the picture though. Any chance of a couple of shots from other angles?
July 17, 20179 yr Were a person to pin me down I'd say it was an anvil for sheet work in a shop that specialized. Say making headlights or large goblets. Just a WAG. Frosty The Lucky.
July 18, 20179 yr Well Richard, I'm going with helmet dolly, for making armor, yep! "Survey said.... XXX"
July 18, 20179 yr Don't overlook the possibility that someone in the past had a sense of humor similar to Thomas Powers. Didn't he say a couple times that he was going to leave behind objects for no other reason than to confuse/confound people in the future?
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