Posted 12 years ago
jonima
(113 items)
Another flea market find. The guy I bought this from said it's an old logger's tool. There would be a guy stand on each side of the handle and another set of guys at the other end of the log with another one of these. They'd use it to carry the log where it needed to be. Works the same as the old ice tongues. The handle is 4 feet long. I've never seen one of these before and thought I probably never would again so I bought it.
very nice piece! I have a horse-drawn version of this. I want to get it hung on the wall somewhere but I can't get the lady of the house to agree to it! lol Great find!
Thanks. At the same flea market, I saw just the metal piece at a different seller. Had no idea what it was. Then as I was walking around some more, I saw this complete one. Yeah, my lady of the house wouldn't allow it to be hung on the wall either. Maybe in the garage.
I can't love it because I had to use one so much when I was young. But I do like it. Doesn't look like it has had much use. They usually get pretty beat up. If your partner drops his side you get pretty beat up to. Plays heck on your back and knees.
Just noticed on the metal piece is says LEACH CO., OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN
Yeah, I don't think it had much use. The metal isn't rusted and the points are still very pointy.
Yes the one I have doesn't have any wood. It seems to be bigger and the hooks are a little straighter. It has a swivel connection on the top. My understanding is that mine would be used like a horse-drawn skidder of sorts. I should post a photo of it... it is buried in the heap somewhere. lol I'm sure that yours like mine has the marks the blacksmith left behind when he pounded out it's shape. That's what makes stuff like this cool.
JJ you are right. We used the ones with the swivel on a tractor with a three point hitch. It picked up the end of a log so the log didn't dig into the ground as you drag it to the landing. Modern skidders can pick up a half dozen logs at a time to skid them. I never saw one used with a team. Normally when logging with a team the logs were just skidded with a chain. Some places still require loggers to use a team because of environmental issues with motorized equipment in the forest or wet land.