Matt Scanlan Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Found this on eBay, I dont have any plans on buying it but its definitely intriguing. Maybe a custom mortising axe? Your ebay link was removed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Scanlan Posted January 21, 2020 Author Share Posted January 21, 2020 Alright, since the link got removed (didnt read the post about eBay links) I'll try screenshots of just the axe. I think it is really interesting because aside from a 16th century corner chisel ive never seen 90 angle blades on a tool. No idea what it may have been used for. Your images have been cropped and reduced in size from 2.1 megs to less than 50kb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc1 Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Not an axe ... may be some sort of carving tool? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Looks similar to a plastic kitchen tool the wife used to break up hamburger in the skillet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Shipwrights tool? Looks halfway between an adze and an axe like you could use it for making a dado. Seems strange one end isn't for striking though. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Looks like one of those handled chisels for cleaning up thee corners of mortises, (ie mortasing axe) tho I haven seen a duble ender before Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Scanlan Posted January 22, 2020 Author Share Posted January 22, 2020 Ive been researching it for 2 days and I haven't found anything close to it. I'm starting to think it was a one off tool someone made. I can see it being used it mortises but the double end part threw me off. There wouldn't be a good way to strike it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc1 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 The mortising tool makes sense seeing that the corner of the cutting edge is aligned with the side of the tool, however ... that would force you to keep the tool at 45 to make a straight angle. Weird. I say it is to cut bear's toenails. Or carve a V channel in a plank ... to make a hand made washing board? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAG Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 Folks, The tool may be some sort of scutching tool for masonry or rock carving tools. There are also similar ones for scutching flax. But that is not at issue here. A scutching hammer is used to knock masonry off of old bricks. It is a brick layer's tool. But that is just a guess. Take a look at this figure, https://duckduckgo.com/?q=stone+masonry+tools+pictures&t=h_&ia=images&iax=images&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fimage.slidesharecdn.com%2Fbrickmasonrytools-151127123349-lva1-app6891%2F95%2Fbrick-masonry-tools-7-638.jpg%3Fcb%3D1448627784 It shows a scutching hammer, but there are scutching tools that are also used. also look at , https://duckduckgo.com/?q=scutching+tools+pictures+images&t=h_&ia=images&iax=images&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wonkeedonkeetools.co.uk%2Fmedia%2Fwysiwyg%2FScutching-tools%2FST-1-2.jpg SLAG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc1 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 Nee, that tool is to work on wood not stone nor masonry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 6 hours ago, Marc1 said: Or carve a V channel in a plank Coopers carve a V shaped notch around the top and bottom of the inside of bourbon barrels but that doesn't look like the tool. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockstar.esq Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 I doubt it would be too good for carving a channel because the bottom of the "Vee" is in plane with the face of the hammer. It wouldn't allow a self-registering cut below flush the way an adze would. Based on the bevels, I'm thinking they are arranged to better cut a V than a point. A triangular notch might be useful in making loomed sheet goods tear at the apex. I wonder if it was used for something like sail making? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Scanlan Posted January 28, 2020 Author Share Posted January 28, 2020 Alright, this tool has been perplexing me, so I went ahead and purchased it. Once it comes in I'm going to do some testing on it to using some of the ideas in the comments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted January 28, 2020 Share Posted January 28, 2020 What do we win with the correct answer. Drum roll.. Its for chinking in log homes.. It cuts the grooved down the logs for the chinking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Scanlan Posted January 28, 2020 Author Share Posted January 28, 2020 41 minutes ago, jlpservicesinc said: Its for chinking in log homes Correct me if I'm wrong (happens more than I'll admit) but chinking is filling the gaps between two logs on a log home. With the blades at 90 degrees to the handle it seems like it would be a very awkward way to use the tool. Or are you talking about before the logs are in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted January 28, 2020 Share Posted January 28, 2020 Yes.. And depending on location depends a lot on what was used in between.. Not at all.. its designed to cut upper and lower.. You can also do it on the ground.. yes on the ground.. You can cut both left and right or up and down.. the back was used to control the depth of cut.. People were way smarter than they are today.. Thats why it doesn't make much sense.. Ok, so what did I win? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Scanlan Posted January 28, 2020 Author Share Posted January 28, 2020 Oh I'm well aware that we have lost more knowledge that we have gained over the century's. That will be curious to test out. And you win a lifetime supply of gratitude lol. When I get fixated on learning something it can drive me nuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted January 28, 2020 Share Posted January 28, 2020 I do believe it was used for chinking. i'd love to see more details of it.. congrats.. Where did it come from? Location? It is a wondeful neat item.. Its construction method looks more modern as the rust pits are even everywhere.. If it was steeled usually there are tell tale signs.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted January 29, 2020 Share Posted January 29, 2020 I'd like more info to back up that that is a chinking tool. I've never come across a tool like that for any log work. I see no need to vee out where the chinking would go. Old time chinking was moss with a mix put over it. No wood cutting needed. Here's about the only tool needed for chinking log houses, including moss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 29, 2020 Share Posted January 29, 2020 I'm thinking it' a cope chisel for relatively shallow mortises say planking. The two sides allows you to cope two corners without moving. A single hammer type coping chisel would require you to move or turn the piece three times to square up one hole. This one would allow you to square a hole and only move one time. I can't see chinking anything with this one or how it'd make chinking better. We just made two sided logs or made the top log's bottom side slightly hollowed to match the log below. One of us made the notch and another would hew the face. Yeah, I've done it with: axe, adze and slick and made saddle notches with a bowl adze or large gouge. Making two sided logs with a chain saw works best, a LITTLE practice and you don't have to chink, a bead of calking works a treat. One of the locals chinked with tar soaked manila rope like it was a boat. It worked a treat but he couldn't find anybody willing to help a second time. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted January 29, 2020 Share Posted January 29, 2020 Not all chinking was done like the ways shown. I bet when you get this ax finally you will clearly see the ax has a rocker face on side for the corner cuts.. It won't be flat.. It is not used as most will see it.. It is not really swung like an axe at all.. But, the nice thing is.. It's all fun.. Can't wait to see more detailed photo's.. And I still stick with Chinking.. Keep in mind with my relatively shallow understand of mechanics today of what actually took place 100+ years ago. LOL.. is impeccably abstract with modern Idiocy wrapped in. the other things that is kind of neat is simply this.. As an example of use vs miss use.. Years ago Myth Busters did a show on Mizo Gumo.. Or Water spiders.. These are Ningu used by ninja to walk across ponds.. LOL.. Or so people think.. Only people who know how to use them properly can use them for the intended purpose.. The myth buster guys tried to use (walk ) in a swimming pool and labeled these water spiders as a busted . Running on Water Myth: Ninjas could walk on water using the aid of mizugumo Mizugumo Mizugumo (Japanese for 'water spider'): flat wooden disks meant to be strapped to the feet Adam and Jamie wanted to test if mizugumo would have allowed ninjas to walk across water. Adam manufactured a pair using pine board cut into four quarter-circle pieces and a rectangular center piece. The entire contraption was laced together with twine. Here's a photo of mizugumo in a Japanese museum: http://kwc.org/mythbusters/resources/2007/mizugumo-thumb.png photo by markcbarrett Adam sunk like a rock as soon as he stuck his first foot in. He decided to do go crazy fast for the second run, "like cartoon," for the second run -- same result. Adam: "I don't know about you, but these seem a little cumbersome to me... the important thing is I look xxxx good" As it turns out, mizugumo were actually meant for rice paddies and mud flats, like snowshoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Scanlan Posted January 29, 2020 Author Share Posted January 29, 2020 I finally got it in the mail today but didnt get a chance to test it on anything yet. I do want to say its hand made, theres a few "errors" I can only attribute to human hands. For instance the bevel on the right is not a perfect 90 degrees to the handle. If it was machine made I can't see that happening. The body of the tool looks reminiscent of a double bit axe. The head weighs about 8 pounds, the blades are 72 degrees so I guess that rolls out a being used to make a square mortise. Actually holding in my hands didnt bring any light to its use. Also no touch stamp, brand name, or date anywhere on it. The pitting on it also isn't uniform, not sure if my pictures do it justice but there's a varying range of large and small pits, biggest one being about the size of a pea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 Yup, has the rocker I was talking about.. also has the 2 handed grip that would be used for running a groove down a log.. LOL.. Giddy up.. run a straight edge across the back tops of the tooths (top of the V) .. see if they are parallel? Betcha they are not and follow the rocker of the blade or are pretty close.. Giddy up.. LOL.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Scanlan Posted January 30, 2020 Author Share Posted January 30, 2020 I'm not at home right now but I cant remember if the are or not. I'll post when I find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 by the way.. I'm just playing.. I'm sure the information I presented if close.. From the wear pattern on the handle and the offset on the head.. I am just playing . I'd love to see more.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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