Mystery pole hook

[magnetman]

About a foot long I mounted it on a 9ft Bo staff I found in the canal. Its quite a good poleaxe. 

 

I've had this for ages and also found lots of boathooks with the magnets but I don't think this actually is a boat hook. It was not a magnet find. 

 

Does anyone have any idea what it might be ? 

 

I wonder if it is a logging hook but it is a bit small. The pointed bit is wedge shaped and the hook part is spiked at the end. Original not modified.  

 

Another possibility could it be a snake management hook? I could see how the slight fork part could be used to pin a snake, the hook to move a snake and the wedge part to kill a snake. 

 

It does not have as much curve as a normal boat hook and the spike is too short and the wrong shape. 

 

 

[robtheplod]

A slim persons false leg?

[Higgs]

38 minutes ago, magnetman said:

About a foot long I mounted it on a 9ft Bo staff I found in the canal. Its quite a good poleaxe. 

 

I've had this for ages and also found lots of boathooks with the magnets but I don't think this actually is a boat hook. It was not a magnet find. 

 

Does anyone have any idea what it might be ? 

 

I wonder if it is a logging hook but it is a bit small. The pointed bit is wedge shaped and the hook part is spiked at the end. Original not modified.  

 

Another possibility could it be a snake management hook? I could see how the slight fork part could be used to pin a snake, the hook to move a snake and the wedge part to kill a snake. 

 

It does not have as much curve as a normal boat hook and the spike is too short and the wrong shape. 

 

 

 

The curved edge does seem to be a shape for grabbing by spiking. And the 'heel' for leverage to move what was spiked.

 

 

Edited November 3, 2023 by Higgs

[magnetman]

Yes it is a bit similar to a hookaroon but a lot smaller. I do use it for picking up pieces of wood sometimes by spiking. 

 

 

I feel @David Schweizer might know what it is as he is very knowledgeable on iron tools. 

[pearley]

Many wide locks in the North have cast iron or stone what look like handholds which I've read were for pulling boats into locks with a hitcher. 

Searching hitcher on Google shows this. 

 

Edited November 3, 2023 by pearley

[Tracy D'arth]

Is the spike for closing bottom gates by pushing on the beam pad?

[Hudds Lad]

Firemans pole hook?

[David Schweizer]

5 hours ago, magnetman said:

Yes it is a bit similar to a hookaroon but a lot smaller. I do use it for picking up pieces of wood sometimes by spiking. 

 

 

I feel @David Schweizer might know what it is as he is very knowledgeable on iron tools. 

 

I did a quick search in my dictionary of old tools (yes, there is one!) but could not find your hook illustrated. I will have a word with my friend, who is a real expert. One thing I can confirm is that it is not a pole axe, which is quite different with a double head, one side has a  triangular axe head, and the other has a long tube about 4" long and an inch diameter, sharpened at the end. This is the end used to kill a bull or cow, there is also a small hole at the handle end of the tube, which enables the blood to shoot out when it is used to strike the beast's head. Outlawed many years ago, although the slaughtering process was apparently both effective and quick.

[magnetman]

55 minutes ago, pearley said:

Many wide locks in the North have cast iron or stone what look like handholds which I've read were for pulling boats into locks with a hitcher. 

Searching hitcher on Google shows this. 

 

Yes I've had lots of boathooks like that out with the magnet. Most of them are now with Michael Pinnock .

 

 

I gave him a sack full of them quite recently. 

24 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

Firemans pole hook?

 

I did wonder about this. Its not all that big and I would have thought they would carry heavier stuff but I suppose if it had a heavy wooden handle it would add to the overall weight of the tool. 

 

 

18 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

 

I did a quick search in my dictionary of old tools (yes, there is one!) but could not find your hook illustrated. I will have a word with my friend, who is a real expert. One thing I can confirm is that it is not a pole axe, which is quite different with a double head, one side has a  triangular axe head, and the other has a long tube about 4" long and an inch diameter, sharpened at the end. This is the end used to kill a bull or cow, there is also a small hole at the handle end of the tube, which enables the blood to shoot out when it is used to strike the beast's head. Outlawed many years ago, although the slaughtering process was apparently both effective and quick.

 

I was thinking of poleaxe in the sense of socially distant one to one combat. The hook could be used to take a leg down during the fight. 

 

Like knights used in ye olde days of yore. 

 

Or a jousting pole end. 

 

 

I suppose it might be for a high up window latch. 

 

 

 

Maybe the wedge shaped end is a sort of screwdriver for something. 

[David Schweizer]

39 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Yes I've had lots of boathooks like that out with the magnet. Most of them are now with Michael Pinnock .

 

 

I gave him a sack full of them quite recently. 

 

I did wonder about this. Its not all that big and I would have thought they would carry heavier stuff but I suppose if it had a heavy wooden handle it would add to the overall weight of the tool. 

 

 

 

I was thinking of poleaxe in the sense of socially distant one to one combat. The hook could be used to take a leg down during the fight. 

 

Like knights used in ye olde days of yore. 

 

Or a jousting pole end. 

 

 

I suppose it might be for a high up window latch. 

 

 

 

Maybe the wedge shaped end is a sort of screwdriver for something. 

 

It was my interest in old tools and Agricultural History which led me to describe what I know as Pole Axe. My complerte lack of enthusiasm for Military History led to me not being aware of the term Pole Axe being more commonly used to describe a Medieval instument of war.  Your item may have been a Military Pole Axe, however, I feel it is more probably a loggers tootl used for the moving of unprepared timber.

 

Below is a photo of an Agricultural Pole Axe used for the slaughter of cattle:-

 

                                                            

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 3, 2023 by David Schweizer

[tree monkey]

42 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

 

It was my interest in old tools and Agricultural History which led me to describe what I know as Pole Axe. My complerte lack of enthusiasm for Military History led to me not being aware of the term Pole Axe being more commonly used to describe a Medieval instument of war.  Your item may have been a Military Pole Axe, however, I feel it is more probably a loggers tootl used for the moving of unprepared timber.

 

Below is a photo of an Agricultural Pole Axe used for the slaughter of cattle:-

 

                                                            

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's fascinating, slightly grotesque and supremely practical

 

Here's one for you

 

 

 

[Dav and Pen]

I think magnetmans shaft and hook is off a boat. I had one very similar probably a bit more curved given to me by a boatman who had come ashore. It’s for cleaning the prop and shaft, the offending rope or rubbish is hooked and then twisted, mine had been made by the boatman.  Most shop brought boat hooks are to short or not strong enough and if it’s long enough you could open or shut gates.

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, tree monkey said:

That's fascinating, slightly grotesque and supremely practical

 

Here's one for you

 

 

 

That is for breaking into aircraft to rescue people

Edited November 3, 2023 by ditchcrawler
I like adding bits

[magnetman]

1 hour ago, Dav and Pen said:

I think magnetmans shaft and hook is off a boat. I had one very similar probably a bit more curved given to me by a boatman who had come ashore. It’s for cleaning the prop and shaft, the offending rope or rubbish is hooked and then twisted, mine had been made by the boatman.  Most shop brought boat hooks are to short or not strong enough and if it’s long enough you could open or shut gates.

 

I've had a lot of these out but none of them are the same shape. I mounted this hook on an oval japanese bo staff. It didn't have a pole when I acquired it. 

 

Some of the old boathooks  were sharpened down on the inside of the crook for prop cleaning.  

 

 

[Momac]

[PaulJ]

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

That is for breaking into aircraft to rescue people

I use one of those to chop kindling- last used it about two hours ago.

Might flog it now and buy an hydraulic jobbie with the proceeds..😀

 

[Derek R.]

There's a few about. I'm told the hole was to secure with chain & padlock.

This one's about 16 inches long.

[magnetman]

Yes I have several of those. The hole could be for a chain or perhaps to add a rope for extra pulling power. 

 

The hook in my picture is actually completely different to a normal boat hook that's why I posted it. 

 

For a start it is made for a smaller diameter pole than most I have found although I have had miniature forged boathooks from punts and skiffs. 

 

 

 

 

[BWM]

The swelling of the iron just before the hook might suggest a hand hold, possibly a shorter tool for two handed use. Could it be a tool for splitting and retrieving ice?

[magnetman]

I did wonder at one point if it originally had a very short handle and was used like an axe. 

 

Ice pick of some sort is an interesting theory.

 

The wedge part would be good for splitting ice. 

 

 

 

 

[magnetman]

 

This is the other side. It has quite a long sleeve implying that there was an fair bit of load to be expected. 

 

 

Maybe it is a boathook but out of the 30 or so I had with the magnet none of them had that shape hook or the wedge shaped spike. 

 

Anyway I take it when patrolling the country estate in case of encountering invaders. 

 

 

 

Also the corrosion exhibited is reminiscent of a tool left outdoors for a long time. My magnet finds never looked like that at all although a lot of items were delaminated (wrought iron). 

 

 

[Pluto]

The original 'hook' shape in this thread is quite similar to the shafts used for rafting timber. In the late 18th century, there was a considerable amount of timber rafted on some English canals, though soon prohibited because of damage to structures and interference with boat traffic. The design may have been carried over into use on boats.

[BWM]

2 hours ago, magnetman said:

 

This is the other side. It has quite a long sleeve implying that there was an fair bit of load to be expected. 

 

 

Maybe it is a boathook but out of the 30 or so I had with the magnet none of them had that shape hook or the wedge shaped spike. 

 

Anyway I take it when patrolling the country estate in case of encountering invaders. 

 

 

 

Also the corrosion exhibited is reminiscent of a tool left outdoors for a long time. My magnet finds never looked like that at all although a lot of items were delaminated (wrought iron). 

 

 

The back end of the two implements has a deliberate looking reinforcing ridge, which would suggest they are designed to be smashed into something.

[magnetman]

Yes I noticed this. It is sort of beefed up. Implies a log hook or ice hook of some sort. There was definitely some impact. I has not necessarily got anything to do with boats as I bought it off eBay it was described as a boat hook which to most people seems likely but I'm pretty sure it isn't.