Had my Harts out to look at over Memorial Weekend. I took a couple pictures before I boxed them back up.







There were many Trapperman members that helped me put these together. Thank you all!

very nice

Impressive. Nice that you give them some fresh air once in awhile!! LOL

Really nice collection

Great traps Pete. Glad that I got to cuddle a couple of them.

Very nice Pete, As you know, I am related to Chauncey Hart and his sons. His 5th Great Grand Father was my 10th Great Grand Father, Stephen Hart, born in 1602. Stephen Hart was a Colonist to Massachusetts in 1634 and a original settler of what is now Hartford, CT in 1636. There are many different Hart traps, I am still trying to decide if they are evolutionary development or if they were making several different styles of trap at the same time. Some are models patented by the sons, George, Hubert and Samuel.

Dean, You are 100% right about the progression of Hart traps it is very tough to figure out. The top center trap in the pictures is that #4 without Hart stampings that I can not be certain is a Hart but shares characteristics with all the other traps pictured. Traps like that really makes this fun. For now it still gets to sleep in the Hart box...LOL,

That's a great looking collection - takes some effort to put that many together from that time period.

May I ask the range of sizes you have there? Largest and smallest? Thank you and thanks for sharing the photos!

Great looking bunch of traps Pete, never realized you had that many. Some people would say you have a lot of Hart[s].
Thanks for sharing them with us, see you in about 10 days

Probably a rookie question but...snake collector did your great grand fathers make traps, were they blacksmiths? And did the Hart trap proceed the Newhouse traps? I see lots of similarities...thanks ahead of time.

In response to A.S.J. I have #1 to #5 size Harts shown. Hart did not have any half sizes so the #1 1/2 size was a #2, the #2 size was a #3 and so on. In the back right you see the largest trap that is marked #3. This trap came without a pan and I think is the oldest trap pictured. The very early Hart traps had square sheet metal pans and were made of lighter material but the sizing got more standard later. Hart did make a #6 but I am yet to find one.
Hart traps are amazing when you consider that these traps were made 150 years ago. The springs I find are mostly strong and very functional. Many of the design and manufacturing techniques were very advanced.

Pete

Thanks Pete. That is exactly the sort of information I was hoping for.

I know some of these makers did some odd pieces too where they used materials of different sizes then they might have ordinarily used due to immediate need and lack of other stock, or they were experimenting, or just did some one off piece, perhaps custom items for someone. The oddballs can be some of the most interesting. To add confusion is the work done after the original manufacture. People adding teeth, replacing pans and springs and that sort of thing. Deciding what was original work and what came later can be a challenge and part of the fun.

I agree with you about the amazing quality of some of these smiths' work. I bought some Watkins that the owner was still using on the line. A bit worn, but not bad for 150+ years old.

Thanks again for sharing the photos and your knowledge- a.s.j.

MChewk, Chauncey Hart was a general Blacksmith in Unionville, CT, he and his sons made all sorts of things and according to Richard Gerstells book, he made traps from 1845 to 1875. Sewell Newhouse was making traps in the 1840's before he joined the Oneida Community in 1948 and then started making traps for the Oneida Community around 1850. I would say that the Newhouse style influenced the Hart traps but in 1864, Oneida Community said that it had come to their attention that Hart had started making trap springs from sheet steel rather than forging them. So, at that point, Newhouse traps were influenced by hart trap springs.

I have a large collection of Hart traps, I will start a new post and share some photos. Dean