Blacksmithing isnt always knives

[Spots]

I made this over the weekend for a friend in need. Its a tool used when building cabins and homesteads. Lets see if anyone here can tell me what it is, and what its for. Ill post the answer in a few hours.



Tapatalk ate my spelling.

[Garufa]

It is a froe for riving shakes.

[Spots]

It is a froe for riving shakes.

Dang that was fast lol. Now just gotta set my old board break up, and help my buddy split out a few thousand for his cabin and barn.

Tapatalk ate my spelling.

[Garufa]

:D

 

Looks good.  It should work well for many years to come.  :up:

Edited October 28, 2013 by Garufa

[TrickyNicky]

It is a froe for riving shakes.

Uh, what?

So is that like an axe? Cause that looks a little like an axe...

[Spots]

Uh, what?

So is that like an axe? Cause that looks a little like an axe...

You hit the back of It with a wooden mallet and split off thin wooden shingles/shakes, to shingle a cabin

Tapatalk ate my spelling.

[TrickyNicky]

It is a froe for riving shakes.

You hit the back of It with a wooden mallet and split off thin wooden shingles/shakes, to shingle a cabin

Tapatalk ate my spelling.

Well why didn't some one say so?!

That looks like an awesome shingle maker brother. <EDIT> I can't get the smilie I wanted to work. Imagine there's a smilie shooting you the thumbs up here. Edited October 28, 2013 by TrickyNicky

[UncleJak]

It's shake and bake, and I helped!

Sent barefoot from the hills of Tennessee

[RED333]

GOOD JOB!!!

I dont think you could buy a better one.

[Viracnis]

Very cool tool.  The greatest difference between a specialty metal worker (bladesmith, ferrier, etc) and a true blacksmith is the ability to make their own tools.

 

There was a blacksmith in the boro that taught me a lot about modern smithing.  He had one of these hanging on his wall and I always wondered what it was used for.

 

Later, in Pigeon Forge the same scenario - there were a few of these in a back room that I always wanted to get up the nerve to ask about but did not want to waste my teacher's valuable time.

Because of that, these have always had a certain mysticism about them to me - that magical blacksmithing tool that they "all" have but that sit in a back room unused in most cases.  Thank you for finally solving the mystery!

 

Do you mind my asking what it's made from?  New steel or something repurposed/reengineered?  The eye looks a bit like a car spring but the cross-section seems too thin.

 

Did you harden it at all?  I'm struggling to decide if you'd want to leave it soft (for whomping on it with said wooden whomper) or harden it to hold its edge better.  Does the profile do most of the work or is the edge important?

[Spots]

Very cool tool. The greatest difference between a specialty metal worker (bladesmith, ferrier, etc) and a true blacksmith is the ability to make their own tools.

There was a blacksmith in the boro that taught me a lot about modern smithing. He had one of these hanging on his wall and I always wondered what it was used for.

Later, in Pigeon Forge the same scenario - there were a few of these in a back room that I always wanted to get up the nerve to ask about but did not want to waste my teacher's valuable time.
Because of that, these have always had a certain mysticism about them to me - that magical blacksmithing tool that they "all" have but that sit in a back room unused in most cases. Thank you for finally solving the mystery!

Do you mind my asking what it's made from? New steel or something repurposed/reengineered? The eye looks a bit like a car spring but the cross-section seems too thin.

Did you harden it at all? I'm struggling to decide if you'd want to leave it soft (for whomping on it with said wooden whomper) or harden it to hold its edge better. Does the profile do most of the work or is the edge important?

I used a 2.5" wide, 3/8 thick, 5160 truck spring for the steel. It does have a good edge, and I did a soft back temper to let it deal with the force of the blows while retaining edge retention ability. Glad I could solve the mystrey for ya :D

Tapatalk ate my spelling.

[UncleJak]

Spots and his dad say if you ever see a old tool that you don't know what it is: a blacksmith made it for a specific job.

Sent barefoot from the hills of Tennessee

[Spots]

Spots and his dad say if you ever see a old tool that you don't know what it is: a blacksmith made it for a specific job.

Sent barefoot from the hills of Tennessee

Its mostly true. You'll find odd tools that nobody has ever seen that are forge made. It means the blacksmith had a problem and he solved it lol

Tapatalk ate my spelling.