May 2012 Mystery Tool A
Unknown. Photo submitted by Daniel Jepsen, Miles, Iowa.
May 2012 Mystery Tool B
Unknown. DJ Hucker, Hopkinton, Iowa, believes it may be a spoke pulled used by a wheelwright to align spokes when assembling a wooden wheel. Photo submitted by Virgil Cassill, Drakesville, Iowa.
May 2012 Mystery Tool C
Commonly referred to as a dengel stock or a scythe anvil. When grain and hay crops were harvested with a scythe, a sharp cutting edge was of prime importance. If a whetstone was used to get the sharp edge, each time it was sharpened, some of the metal was lost. If the edge was hammered sharp each time, the only metal lost was by wear. While sharpening with a hammer, only a small portion of the cutting edge was worked at any one time, therefore only anvils with a small surface were required to re-form the metal to a sharp edge. The workman carried the anvil on his belt or with a leather thong around his neck or shoulder. The sharp point allowed it to be pounded into a convenient stump or log for rigidity in use. The dengel hammer had a short handle for more accurate control of the blows. Photo submitted by Andrew C. Troyer, Shipshewna, Ind.
May 2012 Mystery Tool D
Broadcast seed-sower. May have come with a harness that fit around the neck and likely has a socket for a vertical shaft. See patent no. 242,402 for a similar piece. Photo submitted by Gary Hamilton, Union City, Tenn.
