Author Topic: Fresh out of the garden  (Read 51847 times)

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Offline OilyRascal

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Fresh out of the garden
« on: March 01, 2012, 10:14:01 PM »
I thought I'd share today's find while working in the garden.  The number of things I've unearthed is almost comical at this point.

I've made no attempt at cleaning it up or ID'ing it.  I, admittedly, don't know my hammers well enough to look at an ole rusty glob and ID it.  I'll have to research.

"FORGED IN THE USA" myself.  Be good to your tools!

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Offline john k

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Re: Fresh out of the garden
« Reply #1 on: March 01, 2012, 10:40:12 PM »
Walk that sledge hammer head right over to the power wire brush, looks pretty solid yet, 3-4lb. ?   I'd be delighted to dig something like that out of my garden, all I find are rusty nails, and bits of old broken Mason jars. 
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Offline rusty

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Re: Fresh out of the garden
« Reply #2 on: March 02, 2012, 09:52:35 AM »

Likely some poor farmer was hammering in a fence post and it flew off the handle and vanished in the tall grass, leading to an hour of swearing and cussing ;P

Dunno if you can id it, everyone with a foundry made those, but it's hard to wear one out, add a handle and you are good to go :)

All I ever found in the garden was rocks, lots and lots of rocks...
Just a weathered light rust/WD40 mix patina.

Offline OilyRascal

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Re: Fresh out of the garden
« Reply #3 on: March 02, 2012, 10:12:27 AM »
Likely some poor farmer was hammering in a fence post and it flew off the handle

More likely where a barn or storage building was at some point.  This isn't the first tool I've found.

Dunno if you can id it

Appears to be a 5lb with an A inside a horseshoe, unlike the Diamond Horseshoe logo (no diamond across horseshoe)

"FORGED IN THE USA" myself.  Be good to your tools!

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Offline OilyRascal

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Re: Fresh out of the garden
« Reply #4 on: March 02, 2012, 10:14:57 AM »
A couple more hammers I've found in the same area.  Charles E. Hall and Vlchek?
« Last Edit: March 02, 2012, 10:17:39 AM by OilyRascal »
"FORGED IN THE USA" myself.  Be good to your tools!

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Offline rusty

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Re: Fresh out of the garden
« Reply #5 on: March 02, 2012, 10:16:14 AM »
The A in a horseshoe would make it an Atha hammer, how do you get so lucky? LOL

Hmm, starting to look like you are digging up a blacksmiths shop ;P

Lemme know when you find the forge...
« Last Edit: March 02, 2012, 10:20:14 AM by rusty »
Just a weathered light rust/WD40 mix patina.

Offline OilyRascal

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Re: Fresh out of the garden
« Reply #6 on: March 02, 2012, 10:19:11 AM »
how do you get so lucky? LOL
lol - Is that lucky?  I'm going to buy a metal detector - me thinks.
"FORGED IN THE USA" myself.  Be good to your tools!

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Offline scottg

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Re: Fresh out of the garden
« Reply #7 on: March 02, 2012, 10:33:48 AM »
a 5lb Atha (really unusual size from a great, some say the best, hammer maker)
 and now a marked 3 pound cross pein?? You're killin me here!!
You better at least borrow a metal detector!! Holy Mackerel.
  This is not your average unmarked bell pein and claw hammer heads.
 Pretty desirable stuff!
  yours Scott

Offline OilyRascal

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Re: Fresh out of the garden
« Reply #8 on: March 02, 2012, 10:38:06 AM »
Upon further research - it seems its possible the Charles E. Hall marked hammer may pre-date 1914 acquisition by Barcala

Quoting AA
"1914 Barcalo Manufacturing acquired the operations of the Charles E. Hall Company"
"FORGED IN THE USA" myself.  Be good to your tools!

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Offline johnsironsanctuary

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Re: Fresh out of the garden
« Reply #9 on: March 02, 2012, 01:21:20 PM »
Papaw,
Does Tooltalk have a garden suckage award?
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Offline Nolatoolguy

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Re: Fresh out of the garden
« Reply #10 on: March 02, 2012, 02:06:30 PM »
I think a "found suckage awared" would be cool.
And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
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Offline Branson

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Re: Fresh out of the garden
« Reply #11 on: March 03, 2012, 12:22:15 PM »
I think a "found suckage awared" would be cool.

Me too!  That's some serious hardware!  Only things that have turned up in my yard are some crappy rusted beyond use Taiwan DOEs.

Offline johnsironsanctuary

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Re: Fresh out of the garden
« Reply #12 on: March 03, 2012, 08:16:08 PM »
Hey Oily,
What's the history of your property? Where was the smithy in El Dorado? Are you in an old part of town? I guess what I'm asking is, is there a reason that there are really good hammers in your garden? By the way, anyone that gardens using a Ford 555 is a serious gardener!
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Offline OilyRascal

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Re: Fresh out of the garden
« Reply #13 on: March 03, 2012, 10:02:58 PM »
Hey Oily,
What's the history of your property? Where was the smithy in El Dorado? Are you in an old part of town? I guess what I'm asking is, is there a reason that there are really good hammers in your garden? By the way, anyone that gardens using a Ford 555 is a serious gardener!

The property has been in the family for as long as this area has been settled.  It is now ~200 acres of the original 1200 in the estate.  I've heard stories of several houses (including slave houses) on the estate over the years.  There are currently two houses and an old barn on the property (Barn tools another good discussion).  It was, according to all I've been told, a cotton farming estate that turned quickly oil boom in the early 1920s.  The property, and all available facilities, were used to board oil workers during the boom and never went back to it's full farming operations.  I'm told both current houses were built by my great grandfather and gg-grandfather, starting in 1928, with cash money raised from boarding in the oil boom.  After the houses were completed all older structures were torn down.  It's unclear if the old barn was torn down at that time, or if it was torn down at some later date.  It is also unclear when the barn that remains  was built - so I can't work from that even if I assumed one was torn down with the other completed.

The items I've unearthed from the soil on the property mostly appear to me to be consistent with farming.  I'll grab some pictures tomorrow, but the list includes hillers, breaking plows, splitting wedges, hand cuffs?, horse shoes, hammers, metal rings of various sizes from 2" to 12" in diameter, single tree, and such.

I have a very rough idea where a barnyard was located based on the soil conditions.  The objects I continue to find are in the immediate area of the distinct soil conditions.  I suspect distinct soil conditions = lots of very old poop.

That 555 is by no means a gardening tractor :) - although it did come in very handy last year harvesting muscadines and scupinines from 25-30' up.  I have a 3610 I use for the heavy garden work until I can get this Farmall back in one piece.  However, I now all together avoid that area with any heavy equipment.....only the rear-tine shall go there for a while.  I have, to my own dismay, done a good bit of dozer work in that general area over the last year.....so there is no telling what I've done to myself here.

I'm trying to get my hands on a metal detector and survey that area a little better.
"FORGED IN THE USA" myself.  Be good to your tools!

Garden and Yard Rustfinder Extraordinaire!
http://www.papawswrench.com/vboard/index.php?topic=3717

Offline OilyRascal

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Re: Fresh out of the garden
« Reply #14 on: March 03, 2012, 11:16:23 PM »
I should also add that my grandmother, who is still alive at 89, lives on the property in the other house built by her father and grandfather.  Although she is alive, she was 5 years old at the time of the current houses being built.  She has lived in one house or the other her entire life.  I try to be listen as much as I can and ask questions when I'm not listening, but its very difficult to get clear answers on the history of things here.  I quote "the trees just take you over.........and I forget".
"FORGED IN THE USA" myself.  Be good to your tools!

Garden and Yard Rustfinder Extraordinaire!
http://www.papawswrench.com/vboard/index.php?topic=3717