Really Weird Small Adze/Hammer with Rotating Head?

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Hi All,

January has started out being a bumper month for oddities!

This came in this week in an auction lot:

It appears to be some sort of small adze type tool with a quite fine removeable tip as shown. The odd part is that the head can be rotated 90 degrees by unscrewing the wheel nut and re locking. My gut feeling says boat building for fine work but really not sure. Any thoughts welcomed. Cheers, Martin There are some patent marks:

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Ice shaping maybe?

Dave

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Hi Dave, Wow, that’s certainly off the wall, I like it; I am a bit thrown by the very thin blade with no real cutting bevel for any woodworking application so maybe…

Martin

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

I don’t think that’s a patent as the number is too short. Maybe PAT is short for pattern?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Could it be for chipping-out mortar from between bricks ?

MichaelG.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

You can’t hammer on the screw thread so nothing that requires more than manual force. Perhaps leatherwork.

[peak4Participant @peak4]

It feels as though the head would come loose if used to repeatedly hit something.
Veneer hammer with interchangeable tips maybe??

Bill

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Hi Bill, not easily seen in the pics but there is a leather shock washer behind the head. That to me implies hitting rather than sliding pressure. A very narrow head for a veneer hammer which also usually have round brass working edges? Also how could it be used at 90 degrees?

cheers, Martin

[John HinkleyParticipant @johnhinkley26699]

Could it be a roofer’s hammer for trimming slates?

John

 

 

 

[Michael Gilligan]

On Michael Gilligan Said:

Could it be for chipping-out mortar from between bricks ?

MichaelG.

Got too be something like that.  I note:

• sharp exchangeable cutting edge.  Possibly came with a selection of shapes, such as fork fingers and crescents maybe, for doing something pretty.
• Small and on the delicate side so not for chipping granite on Dartmoor!
• Cutter quick-change rotates through 90°, so works as an axe (grooving) and as an adze (chiselling).

Makes me think of artwork or light chopping with moderate precision rather than heavy duty.

Textile or leather perhaps.  Used to chop cord or strips to length when making nets, heavy canvas, carpet, saddles, belts etc.  The 90° turn is useful when the material runs both right/left and front/back on a table.

John’s probably right about Pat No 4038 not being a patent.  As patents were expensive, had to be taken out in multiple countries, and were often unenforceable, many manufacturers didn’t bother.  But they frequently marked stuff Pat or “Patent Applied For” in hope it would put off copiers off.  Not sure it worked – counterfeits often accurately copy patent numbers, trademarks and the paint-job…

Dave

 

 

 

[VicParticipant @vic]

If it’s not very sharp, perhaps it’s a caulking tool for small boats?

[HollowpointParticipant @hollowpoint]

To me, the angle of the head and slim blade would suggest it is for hollowing something out.

Where are you based? Maybe it’s for something like log cabin building.

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Hi Hollowpoint,

Based in Dorset UK, not much call for log cabins around here:-)

One of my initial thoughts was for small scale carving perhaps?

Hard one to pin down.

Vic, we have had a lot of caulking tools of all sizes but never with a sharp edge which I think would destroy the oakum or other material.

Martin

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