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Hand forged shaft hook found in the Grand Union canal. This example has a large hole punched through the centre of the main body of the tool. There are several theories about the original reason for this hole, the most likely being that it was added to allow the tool to be chained to a boat or railings/fence outside a lock cottage, to prevent theft. In the early days of horse drawn boats the boatman would not be resident on the vessel therefore large items like a shaft would be left on the boat unattended