A Traditional Knife With A Related Traditional Item

[315]

I stopped at an antique shop yesterday on my way to lunch as there wasn’t much else to do with a negative wind chill. I came across this section of a Marsh Gauge Pole, from Titusville, PA.

I didn’t know exactly what it was but a quick search revealed the poles were roughly 12 ft. long and made from hard maple. They were used to measure the depth inside railroad oil tank cars, mostly in the early half of the 1900’s. Not sure why they didn’t cut it right but it’s a little short on that 1st inch lol.

I thought it was a pretty cool antique item to pair with the knives made in Titusville and it wasn't expensive at all. I searched online and found this ad from an oil business newsletter/pamphlet.

Feel free to share other knives and antique type items that came from the same area.

My buddies Grandpa owned the service station next to our house. I remember them using a similar pole to check the fuel level in their tanks. I think they might have even used them up to the point when they pulled the tanks out of the ground and stopped selling fuel, as replacement tanks became way too expensive. Another buddy bought the place and runs it as a repair/service shop. I’ll see if he has the old poles. I’m guessing they were cut a little short to account for the curvature of the tank so they could get a more accurate reading?? Just a thought, but I’m guessing....
Here’s a photo of the old station my brother took while messing around with some filters on his camera.

 

[Jsega51]

315 Thats really a really cool pic. That’s a good thought about the curvature but this piece is in the middle of a full pole, it’s piece making up the 7’ to 8’ mark.

I’m really just thinking it was broken and they just cut it into pieces for scrap or something.

Here’s a crappy pic I found of the clamp that marks the spots on the pole. My piece has the circle marks from that style clamp. I’ll have to keep an eye out for one.

 

[Hickory n steel]

How about some BSA stuff ?
A BSA Case , my dad's neckerchief keeper, merit pins, and my wallet which he made in scouts around 50 years ago.

I've using it since I was a kid and it's still going strong, so I guess he did a good job