Posted 12 years ago
pickingupb…
(197 items)
Antique hay fork. I think this ones for wind making wind rows. Third pic showes threaded wood handle and 4th shows pegged joint. Bought at garage sale with several other items. Hard to make room for everything I have to put it back in storage. Thanks for looking.
Thanks packrat
Being an antique depends on how you define antique. This looks old but it isn't. The threads on the left handle are machine turned. The tines show no signs of being worn from use and the pegs are sticking out where they will snag. The rounded (beveled) edges end short of the end. It looks like something someone made at home for sale as a display item. Hay forks were made of lighter, thinner material so they didn't tire you out from swinging them.
No disrespect intended but I think this is not original. You have dandelions growing there which says to me you are in the colder part of the country where weather would take a toll on this type of tool. Parts of it may have been original hay fork parts.
If you have extra dandelion greens send me some. They are great steamed and make fantastic dandelion wine. They don't grow down here.
Thanks fhrjr2 for your honest input. I did have trouble understanding how this was used. Never thought it was not authinic. I was told it was making wind rows not pitching but not sure. But if it is not orignal someone went through a lot of effort. Maybe that was why it was so cheap. Not enough dandelion greens for a mess.
What part of the country did you purchase this?
Thanks walksoftly for loving this I bought it in West Texas with a few more farm and haying tools. I'll post them later.
For what it's worth, here are my thoughts on this piece. It caught my eye when you first posted it, I do believe it was for gathering hay that was cured. I have been unable to find anything on line like it, however the first thing that I noticed was it's similarity to a scythe cradle / cradle scythe
http://www.google.ca/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1599&bih=795&tbm=isch&tbnid=aCqBp_Fe6pbzRM:&imgrefurl=http://www.wdm.ca/EdPrograms/saskatoon/grade4harvest.htm&docid=5GfU-qUt3c1JfM&imgurl=http://www.wdm.ca/EdPrograms/saskatoon/WDM_Gr4_cradle.jpg&w=1000&h=692&ei=rMZlT-P5GISbtwei-PX9DQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=298&vpy=514&dur=8425&hovh=187&hovw=270&tx=180&ty=112&sig=113168912545548141462&page=2&tbnh=148&tbnw=190&start=32&ndsp=41&ved=1t:429,r:17,s:32
It is also reminiscent of a hay sweep or alfalfa sweep
http://www.pro.rcip-chin.gc.ca/bd-dl/dvp-pvd-eng.jsp?emu=en.parksvd:/appli/item_d-eng.php&cat=4&class=D020&item=04-00012
We own one similar to this.
http://www.google.ca/imgres?num=10&hl=en&biw=1599&bih=795&tbm=isch&tbnid=cSzqYFmh7Akv5M:&imgrefurl=http://www.sootractor.biz/STSR_files/slide0002.htm&docid=5D6V76kXDvvXPM&imgurl=http://www.sootractor.biz/STSR_files/slide0002_image009.jpg&w=474&h=372&ei=xcllT_OCKs230QHU0rC-CA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=184&vpy=151&dur=8887&hovh=199&hovw=253&tx=167&ty=137&sig=113168912545548141462&sqi=2&page=1&tbnh=144&tbnw=183&start=0&ndsp=29&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0
Turning our attention back to the image of yours, the handles are threaded but this doesn't mean that it is modern. Turned threads date back to the time of Leonardo da Vinci, & where made in large numbers during the industrial revolution. On that basis alone I would classify this as an antique.
The slight curve to the tines would allow them to slide on the ground under the hay to gather it. This may have been designed just prior to more mechanised items being invented, making this obsolete.
Thanks walksoftly for your anylisis. I looked long and hard also in a farm tool book I have and then the internet prior to posting. Nothing like it but some similar. I'm just convinced it was manufactured and not home made. Too much good time consuming workman ship. I don't think it had much use.
You could try getting in contact with the Texas Agriculture Museum in Lubbock, TX
Thanks a lot walksoftly I'll give it a try