Tearing My Hair Out

[undergroundtree]

Can anyone identify this? I found it at a yard sale in southern california. I think it is some kind of carpenter's hatchet as it has the nail puller, but the holes in the blade are bugging me.

 

[Operator1975]

Shingling hatchet - also sometimes called a lathing hatchet. Depending who you talk to it has 17 different names. Holes were so a screw depth/chalk line gauge could be used.

 

[russianpolander]

I think the holes were for a peg to measure for the next row of shingles.

 

[undergroundtree]

Thank you for your help. I appreciate it.

 

[Mahoney]

Shingling hatchet, originally used with cedar shingles. Can also be used with asphalt shingles. Sharpened on the edge for splitting shingles to width, and also on the bottom so cuts could be made by pulling the hatchet towards you, handy for shaving "just a bit" off the side of a shingle. A well stocked "old-time" hardware store or lumber yard should have a replacement peg. The peg was brought up against the bottom end of the previously laid course of shingles with the hammer face pointing to the roof peak. The next shingle was rested on the hammer face to set the exposure length and then nailed in place

 

[Duzzy]

I have one almost exactly like that that I occasionally use as a framing hammer. I inherited it from my Great-Grandfather.