Unusual Crow Bar Type Tool? Fire Brigade?

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Hi All,

Been away from here for a while as we have been very busy!

Here is this weeks mystery tool that came in with an auction lot, very nicely made but no makers marks at all!

380mm long overall, beautifully made latching mechanism for the fold out serrated jaw:

[Mark EasingwoodParticipant @markeasingwood33578]

No idea, but it looks a bit “surgical”.

Is it stainless steel?

Mark.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Mountaineering???

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

Looks well made and light weight. Might be a a military aircraft escape tool. For opening sliding canopies or similar.

Robert.

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

I’d go for mountaineering too..

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Made of Aluminium with hardened and ground serrated jaw and curved tip. We get a lot of ice axes etc but never seen a mountaineering tool like this?

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Should mention that the jaw stows inside the shaft on a spring release and lock.

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

Definitely not for climbing, there is no attachment point for a sling which is essential, grip strength is not enough to hang onto an ice axe, no matter what Hollywood tells us lol.

Also the jaw is too short and not pointed enough for ice use.

I’m tending toward the aircraft tool, but only because Trumpton don’t have such skinny tools for rescue, they tend to go overboard with such kit, like six foot wrecking bars.

The curved jaw could also only be used to lever against itself, not the head of the shaft, like a heel bar, because of the spring release knob. Note th rearward facing set of the teeth too which woukd work with this kind of use.

[ZanParticipant @zan]

I had an ice axe with a head pick at this angle in the 60-70s the serrations are designed to hold but are too shallow . I modified mine with rapid oxy acetelene  heating to bend it steeper. Then very effective !but replaced when I could afford it.   The shaft was wood and not strong. Hamish Mc innes first introduced a metal axe with a Hinduminium shaft, made in his back garage my dad was a good friend having supplied him with walkie-talkies for an early attempt at Everest face climb.

However even on this home made device the curved spike would be useless, serrations  are far too small to hold in ice  Seems to be a cross hole for a strap, but at wrong end and too small.

Does the pick foldaway by a screw lock at the top, or is that where a lanyard could be attached?

i go for a geological tool to dig out rock samples

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

The pick end of my ice axe was a lot longer than that, cant see that being effective at stopping you  when you’re sliding down a steep snow slope

[TomkParticipant @tomk39956]

It could be a tactical version of halligan tool also known as a hooligan tool which was used by fireman.

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Pulling out the screw at the top allows the jaw to unlatch and fold away with a spring retainer on the side to hold it locked. My gut feeling is fireman related also but Google lens shows nothing for it?

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

I vote aircraft.   Looks like an expensively made lightweight short pry bar with no provision for a carrying strap – not portable up mountains.  Robert suggests an escape tool for use on sliding canopies; I’m thinking cargo planes for adjusting pallets and strapped down loads.

A naval friend had a “fun” experience many years ago.  Taken ill in Gan, he was flown back to the UK for surgery in considerable pain, getting worse as time passed.  When the plane got to Cyprus it circled the island for over an hour, no explanation, presumably burning off fuel.   Then the crew appeared with a toolbox and his group were made to sit in the aisle.

The crew unbolted seats to lift a section of floor so the could try and wind the jambed undercarriage down manually.  They took turns to heave on it, unsuccessfully at first.  Though they eventually got the wheels down, all the passengers were fully expecting to die in a crash-landing.  Toughs wept whilst writing their wills and farewells etc.   My friend reckoned he was the bravest man present – in so much pain that he welcomed death.

Maybe a small pry bar was used to lift the floor-plate.

Dave

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