Two hatchets and a what is it?

Dad's cleaning his shop and found these two hatchets with some of his dad's stuff. All the guys they hunted with carried a knife and hatchet set. The knives are lost, probably claimed by someone as kitchen knives. The dark hatchet was grandpas, it's a western. The light hatchet was dads, a Soling from Japan.


And the what is it. Found about 10 of these in the weeds. About two inches wide, pretty heavy steel. Two bolt locations. Any ideas? Besides the obvious?

cultivator shank?

Cultivator shank minus the cutting blade that bolt to one end while the shank is bolted to the cultivator frame? Haven't pulled a cultivator in years, but that sure looks like I remember.

farmnhunt was quicker on the draw so I will change my guess to pig castator

Very nice hatchets. Thanks for sharing

Nice hatchets, the other is either a shank or a spacer band for tooth pickup like what a baler has on it.

The spring steel on the cultivator shanks makes for some very nice steel for making knives. Small hand size for beaver skinning once shark-stays sharp

Nice hatchets , Uncle Buck always kept one in the trunk of his car. Razor sharp too. Wanna see ?

That's what I was thinking. It's gotta be pretty good steel.

Yes, Thanks

You found the shanks and the "shoes" have been removed. Could also be shanks from an older springtooth type digger.

Bryce

Yep cultivator or digger shank just missing the tooth , oh and very nice hatchets.

Those are ankle bracelets from the slave trade...

Bryce is rite harrow shank sharp bend is the top bolts on to a bar or angle iron other end takes a replaceable shoe

Thanks guys. My first thought was part of a spring tooth or similar drag. I didn't find any frame at all, but I'll dig a bit more tomorrow.

The bolts look like it is bolted to wood that has rotted away. Both ends. the nuts are still on them so I'm doubting spring shank.

My first guess was buggy seat springs but then I reread there were 10.
just

Seat spring was a thought to me also. That'd be a seat graveyard if it is.

Seat spring from an old implement seems most likely. Its not a cultivator shank.

Yep, that's from a spring tooth harrow.

My first and favorite knife is a western. Still use it on my line or deer hunting.

Thanks cragar: That's a good movie.

I have split a lot of Elk and Moose spines with a western hatchet like the one in your pic. Some came with a sheath that held both the western knife and hatchet in one. I had the matching knife too but they were in separate sheaths.

Great find!

This had the matching sheath for the knife. It attached to the hatchet sheath where the green yarn wrap is. Dad and Grandpa used them to split open mule deer pelvises.

I actually have that bottom hatcher and its a spring tooth harrow not a cultivators shank.

Those old hatchets are cool, I'm sure there are quite a few tucked away in shops and garages that have been forgotten.

I agree with spring tooth harrow. Did a lot of looking on the web last night and it matches the ones I found pretty close.

Anyone know if the steel is decent for blades?

The steel is less brittle and has more spring to it than a the leaf spring on a vehicle. That my only experience. I used to pull those through the field all the time early spring when weeds were small for my father on the farm LOL.