Is the hole in this hatchet factory?

[Twilight Fenrir]

I was perusing my local auction site... when this unusual little Stanley hatchet caught my eye... it has a great big square hole through the cheeks! It's such a nice, square, clean looking hole, I have to wonder if it was done this way from the factory...

Which also begs the question, if so, why? Just to save steel? Or is this hatchet a portable anvil with hardy hole?

Anyone know?

[international3414]

maybe marked bell system?

[Lewill2]

Lineman's hatchet & wrench tool

[Northwoods]

Yep.  It's a hatchet and a wrench, as well.  The hatchet is used to shave a pole flat on one side to better accept a device--such as a transformer.  The wrench is used to turn a lag bolt to attach the transformer.

[mikeswrenches]

You will also occasionally find cross peen hammers with a rather large round hole in the peen end.
These were used to install the "pegs" that we're screwed into the poles for the lineman to climb on.

I'm sure "pegs"isn't the correct term,but it's the best I could come up with. They are actually a lag bolt affair with a bent up end that you slipped the hole in the hammer over so you could turn it into the pole.

For whatever reason, I see more of the square hole hatchets than the hammers.  All the hatchets I've run across have been marked "Bell System".  Under the rust yours is probably marked that way too.

Mike

[Twilight Fenrir]

Oh sure, I think I've heard of that before, now that you mention it...

You will also occasionally find cross peen hammers with a rather large round hole in the peen end.
These were used to install the "pegs" that we're screwed into the poles for the lineman to climb on.

I'm sure "pegs"isn't the correct term,but it's the best I could come up with. They are actually a lag bolt affair with a bent up end that you slipped the hole in the hammer over so you could turn it into the pole.

For whatever reason, I see more of the square hole hatchets than the hammers.  All the hatchets I've run across have been marked "Bell System".  Under the rust yours is probably marked that way too.

Mike

Yep, I had one of the hammers in the past. But, I bought it specifically to resell it :P Was a nice lookin' hammer though...

Not sure what else may be marked on it, I'm not able to physically examine it. But, I'm sure it probably does have Bell System stamped into it, like all their other specialty tools.

Thanks!

[moparthug]

I saw one of these in a local antique shop with a 3 inch long square hardwood peg through the hole, it was listed as being used for cutting cedar roof shingles, the peg keeping it from cutting too deep. Not knowing anything about lineman's tools it made sense at the time.

[Stan D]

My forehead is getting all wrinkly trying to figure out how a square peg like that is useful for anything.  A hatchet is the last tool you would use if you needed a shallow cut.

[Bill Houghton]

I saw one of these in a local antique shop with a 3 inch long square hardwood peg through the hole, it was listed as being used for cutting cedar roof shingles, the peg keeping it from cutting too deep. Not knowing anything about lineman's tools it made sense at the time.

'Mazing the stories people will make up when they don't know what something is.

Shingler's hatchets were, in fact, used for trimming the width of wood shingles to fit the work, but I can't imagine what use the peg described would have had.  And a shingler's hatchet is narrower and lighter than the hatchet shown.

[kwoswalt99]

I saw one of these in a local antique shop with a 3 inch long square hardwood peg through the hole, it was listed as being used for cutting cedar roof shingles, the peg keeping it from cutting too deep. Not knowing anything about lineman's tools it made sense at the time.

Shingler's hatchets were, in fact, used for trimming the width of wood shingles to fit the work, but I can't imagine what use the peg described would have had.  And a shingler's hatchet is narrower and lighter than the hatchet shown.

And they have a hammer poll.