Fork, Spading

Description

Fork with forged tines (4) formed as two U-shaped parts, one inside the other. The Us are inserted through a rectangular hole in a forged iron cylinder, tapered and closed at the bottom. The tine Us are held in place by iron wedges hammered in from either side. The tapered end of a between-centers turned handle's shaft is inserted into the open end of the iron cylinder and since the handle is not pinned in the cylinder, the tines likely go through the wood as well as the iron cylinder. The top of the handle shaft has been cut and carved to form a D-shaped handle reinforced by two iron rivets, one through the round grip and the other through the base of the handle below the cut out.

Notes

Found in the foundation of a ruin at Mount Lebanon in 1948. Possible association with #1950.3201.1 (reference located by Jerry V. Grant): "1884 apr 23: F[rederick Evans]. run fork through his leg, on the Asparagrass [sic] bed." [NN?] Blog post on this object: https://shakerml.wordpress.com/2016/09/14/ouch-careful-with-that-fork/