What did I find? Who can tell me what this tool is for?

[300Six]

An old hardware store and lumberyard in town closed and they had an estate sale. This place, about 2 miles from my house. Lots of treasures in there in hidden corners, but the tool is older than that business to be sure.

http://hanover.wickedlocal.com/article/20151121/NEWS/151129811

Interesting for sure. Now I guess you are going to have to carefully wire wheel that thing, scour out the socket and try to find some stamps or engraving, markings and evidence of use. For instance, if it was used along sidewalks even for a short time you'd see hard scrapes along the blade and it would not be fine knife edged.

 

[jblyttle]

As promised, better pics, although they have not helped me. There is now less evidence of spine damage, if any...so froe is less likely. It looks like a chopper/slasher to me, I just can't get past the socket. How would that be a secure connection for a 4-5' swinging tool? I would envision the head loosening almost right away and becoming a ballistic object mid-swing.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Is there any sort of a hole for a nail?

 

[Steve Tall]

And can you tell us the thickness of the spine (to the nearest 1/16") at two locations: the spine above the back corner of the blade, and the spine above the midpoint of the blade?

 

[mewolf1]

Looks like a good tool for butchering.

 

[mewolf1]

Close as I can find. Was mentioned earlier. Obviously yours does not have a hook, but after many untold years, who knows.

197. Socketed steel billhook with some chipping on the cutting edge and a little rust, good overall.

http://www.greatplanestrading.com/SEPT12/SEPT12.htm