# What are these???



## cobaltbot (May 28, 2008)

OK farm guys and gals, carpenters, etc. here's another mystery item.  You all have done pretty good in the past though there are at least three open posts that no one could figure out and unfortunately I had no clue what they were either!  These were found in the woods yesterday and hand forged.  There are two designs but they must be the same thing, not sure if they were used in pairs but these two don't match exactly.  If I had to quess on these I'm thinking some kind of scaffolding hooks?  What say YE?


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## cobaltbot (May 28, 2008)

Someone went to a lot of trouble to fancy this one up a bit?


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## myersdiggers1998 (May 28, 2008)

maybe bridle,saddle, or rope hooks. the center holes may have been there to pretty it up some , just a guess.


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## RedGinger (May 28, 2008)

They look really familiar.  Are they for a railing or something?  Maybe you put them on a wall and they're pot hooks?


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## cobaltbot (May 29, 2008)

maybe & maybe....jury is still out..  THANKS for the replies!!!


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## steveinlanc (May 30, 2008)

Ah, finally something I know about in the bottle forums.

 Those are called fireplace trammels.  They are both missing half their parts - see image below.  They are antique, probably late 1790 - 1830, and were used to hang cooking pots over the fire in a large hearth.  The bar parts you have would have hung on a rod suspended across the chimney or on a crane (think giant iron angle bracket), and the holes allowed the actual bar that held the pot to be raised and lowered - early temperature control.  Trammels came in several mechanical designs, including ratchet, chain, bar or "hole", which is what you have.

 They are very nice, both popular sizes for collectors, and the one with the design work on it is very desirable, probably worth as much as $350 as it is without the missing rod.

 Congratulations, excellent find. []

 P.S. - Let me know when I can come comb through your woods!


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## capsoda (May 30, 2008)

Good find Steve......now get back out there and find some more late 1700s early 1800s stuff!!!!!


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## steveinlanc (May 30, 2008)

Capsoda I didn't find them, Cobaltbot did.  I just identified what they are.


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## cobaltbot (May 30, 2008)

Holy Moly Steve-o you nailed it!!!   Thanks so much for coming up with the ID on those.  Great addition to the rusty metal junk collection, I better preserve those two!  Cappy meant me, we're both steve.  Thanks to you I found out what they were and a great link to an awesome book called Colonia Wrought Iron, The Sorber Collection by Don Plummer, I'm going to have to get that one.  You can come look in my woods anytime!  Here's the link: 

http://books.google.com/books?id=luZ2O9K62nwC&dq=colonial+wrought+iron+the+sorber+collection&pg=PP1&ots=A4j8-eNqdt&sig=DUmK-qYeCYZ3OUuA-SMIkvCfFbw&hl=en&prev=http://www.google.com/search%3Fhl%3Den%26q%3Dcolonial%2Bwrought%2Biron:%2BThe%2BSorber%2BCollection&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title&cad=one-book-with-thumbnail#PPA26,M1


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## GuntherHess (May 30, 2008)

I have one in my fireplace , a useful item...
http://www.mattsoldhouse.com/house/fpuse.jpg


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## capsoda (May 30, 2008)

Hey Steve, (steveinlanc) Cobaltbot's name is Steve also.[]


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## aridice53 (May 31, 2008)

Wow!! Cool find!!
 I would love to come up there and tromp through your woods. I'd bring my metal detector!!

 Char


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## zanes_antiques (May 31, 2008)

This item really caught my eye. I have an affinity for wrought iron. That is an exceptional Trammel. It's the first one I've seen decorated in that manor. Let me know if you ever want to trade it for bottles.


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## steveinlanc (Jun 2, 2008)

Cobaltbot... er, Steve, I am an afficionado of of old wrought and cast iron... commonly referred to as a "rust hunter" []  I've bought, sold and/or traded dozens of trammels over the years and the one you found with the decorative work is simply outstanding.

 I would highly recommend that you at least do basic conservation on both pieces - steel wool and/or wire brush, a good slathering with WD-40 and finally a firm rubbing down with a bee's wax based preservative.  We've had great luck with Howard's wax, although the rust collectors' world has, of course, a variety of specialty waxes "just for old iron".

 GuntherHess - I have MAJOR hearth envy just now. Gosh darn you all to heck!  []

 Steve (Cobalt Steve that is) - Where do you live?  If you have stuff like that just lying in the woods I'd consider using some gas to come crawl around them on my hands & knees for a few days.

 Just for reference, here's a chain trammel that was one of the nicest of the genre I think I ever had.  It now lives in a zillion-dollar "Tuscan Villa" in Maryland.


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## Staunton Dan (Jun 2, 2008)

While digging an 1850s-1860s era privy I found this bayonet that was bent to be used as a pot holder. Not exactly a trammel but an interesting item to say the least. I also found a civil war era musket with the ramrod stuck down the barrel plus the butt plate and the lock plate.


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## cobaltbot (Jun 4, 2008)

Thanks for the preseration info, I'd like to become better at preservation techniques and quit procrastinating on so much stuff - _rust never sleeps...._

 I found these about a mile away from my property although I have found similar stuff on my place.  My youngest daughter and I were metal detecting and she found  hand forged fire place tongs.  I've also found bottles of the previous owners of my house (1883) a cleaned out privy, a single shard of a historical flask and some nice finds in neighboring foundations that pre-date mine.  Anyone is welcome to come look but you'd be hard pressed to find things I've missed, however a place is never completely hunted out so you never know.  I wouldn't mind someday having a forum picnic on my place, not a dig invasion on the local populace, but a party.  I think I will go back to see if I can't find the other parts to those.  The smaller one has minor decoration ( a vee top).  Matt that's a great fireplace, mine is only in the planning stage, project # 1,376.  ***sigh*****
 Dan, that's some cool finds, if I lived in the war zone I'd be in way more marital trouble than I already am for bottles!


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