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All Forums >> [Bottle Forums] >> Digging and Finding >> What have I dug???

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What have I dug??? - 1/1/2006 3:11:11 PM    Flaschenjager Posts: 1183 Joined: 12/21/2002 From: Central Virginia - USA Status: offline Hey gang - Just wondering if anyone knows what this belonged to or was? It was found in a turn of the century dump, but much older items and bottles have been unearthed there. I'm not saying it's an older item. I just wanted to set the stage while describing this item. It is heavy for it's size, 2" tall, hollow and seems to be made of lead or pot metal (not an expert). Most will think that it is a pipe, but how can it be? There isn't a bowl, at least in the part that I have. On the right side is an opening where it seems to have been snapped off or broken. On the back on the bird's head is a very small pinsized hole, where the bird may have once had feathers or a plume sticking out. The bird looks like he or she is sitting on a stump. It was made in a two piece type mold. I can't find any maker's marks. Any ideas? TIA Attachment (1) _____________________________ 'Meech' Our websites: http://mysite.verizon.net/flaschenjager/bottles.html Member of FOHBC - RABCA - APBCA Editor of 'The Digger' in full color! Please support the forums with a donation or purchase! Post #: 1

RE: What have I dug??? - 1/1/2006 3:43:51 PM    Ye Olde Prospector   Posts: 614 Joined: 1/23/2005 From: Bath, Maine Status: offline Hi Meech, Looks like a pie bird. Guess they used to insert them in the top crust of pies to let steam escape during baking. Kept the crust from splitting and making a mess. My guess at least. Cliff (in reply to Flaschenjager) Post #: 2

RE: What have I dug??? - 1/1/2006 5:16:59 PM    capsoda Posts: 8084 Joined: 11/15/2005 From: Seminole,Alabama, USA Status: offline My wife dug one too. Its kind of decreped and was open on the bottom. your guess sounds right on to me Cliff. Attachment (1) _____________________________ Warren Diggin down in Dixie, USA Work is for people who don't dig bottles President, Panhandle Cruisers http://www.panhandlecruisers.org/ (in reply to Flaschenjager) Post #: 3

RE: What have I dug??? - 1/1/2006 5:31:21 PM    woody   Posts: 1813 Joined: 10/29/2002 From: Gilmanton, New Hampshire Status: online Yes, Cliff is right. It's a pie bird used for baking. _____________________________ Woody (in reply to Flaschenjager) Post #: 4

RE: What have I dug??? - 1/1/2006 5:35:08 PM    Flaschenjager Posts: 1183 Joined: 12/21/2002 From: Central Virginia - USA Status: offline Thanks for joggin' my memory Cliff! We have talked about pie birds on here quite a few times. This is the first one I've dug or at least like this. I just did a search since the beginning of this forum and others we've talked about turned up. Each one is different so far though. Someone in the crazy collecting world must collect these. Neat things to find, but they don't look like they were the best thing to stick in your pie, at least the metal ones. _____________________________ 'Meech' Our websites: http://mysite.verizon.net/flaschenjager/bottles.html Member of FOHBC - RABCA - APBCA Editor of 'The Digger' in full color! Please support the forums with a donation or purchase! (in reply to Flaschenjager) Post #: 5

RE: What have I dug??? - 1/1/2006 8:22:07 PM    southern Maine diver Posts: 1483 Joined: 8/13/2005 From: South Berwick, Maine USA Status: offline Flaschenjager... Hi Meech... I guess you're right about the pie birds "not being the best thing to put into your pie..." look at what happened the the bird Capsoda put into his pie!! Are they lead? if so, they should pretty much stay intact for life. Did they make them out of other materials? Wayne (in reply to Flaschenjager) Post #: 6

RE: What have I dug??? - 1/1/2006 8:27:58 PM    Miles   Posts: 252 Joined: 9/6/2005 From: New York Status: offline Upon research I found some from the 40's and 50's made of glass. (in reply to Flaschenjager) Post #: 7

RE: What have I dug??? - 1/1/2006 8:56:03 PM    capsoda Posts: 8084 Joined: 11/15/2005 From: Seminole,Alabama, USA Status: offline They are made of White Metal, a combination of soft white metals alloyed together. jewelers and metal casters have been using it for a couple hundred years. Not supposed to have lead in it BUT DON"T BET ON IT! _____________________________ Warren Diggin down in Dixie, USA Work is for people who don't dig bottles President, Panhandle Cruisers http://www.panhandlecruisers.org/ (in reply to Flaschenjager) Post #: 8

RE: What have I dug??? - 1/1/2006 10:22:05 PM    Ye Olde Prospector   Posts: 614 Joined: 1/23/2005 From: Bath, Maine Status: offline All old metal dental fillings were a mercury amalgam. What is it they say about mercury now? How many parts per billion is hazardous ? Something to think about. Cliff (in reply to Flaschenjager) Post #: 9

RE: What have I dug??? - 1/1/2006 11:12:35 PM    capsoda Posts: 8084 Joined: 11/15/2005 From: Seminole,Alabama, USA Status: offline Hey Cliff, Some dentists still use that crap.You really got to keep an eye on them. They claim that mercury in an amalgam form is safe. Can you beleave those guys? _____________________________ Warren Diggin down in Dixie, USA Work is for people who don't dig bottles President, Panhandle Cruisers http://www.panhandlecruisers.org/ (in reply to Flaschenjager) Post #: 10

RE: What have I dug??? - 1/2/2006 3:03:54 AM    madman   Posts: 4960 Joined: 2/5/2005 Status: offline hey great subject !! i learn somthing new on this forum every day!! thanks for sharing mike (in reply to Flaschenjager) Post #: 11

RE: What have I dug??? - 1/2/2006 8:43:08 AM    cowseatmaize Posts: 2135 Joined: 12/2/2004 From: Metro West, MA Status: offline I was just looking up silver fillings a couple weeks ago with google. There are stories of some of the strangest ailments going away if you have the removed and replaced with the non silver-murcury. It seems the murcury turns to a gas and is absorbrd into all parts of the body wreaking total havock. Hmmm that might explain a lot. It's scary to read growing up in the 60's and having a mouth full of the stuff. I think I'd rather eat lead pie. I can't afford to have the removed. Eric _____________________________ My 10¢ worth (inflation) Eric If you love what your doing it might be illegal, so watch your back. (in reply to Flaschenjager) Post #: 12

RE: What have I dug??? - 1/2/2006 10:32:17 AM    Ye Olde Prospector   Posts: 614 Joined: 1/23/2005 From: Bath, Maine Status: offline Hey Eric and Warren, That is some interesting info about having the old mercury fillings removed and some medical problems going away. I had a bunch of those old silver/mercury fillings that were gradually replaced as I had dental work done in the military. I spent months in a military hospital with mysterious internal medical problems. Makes me wonder if that might have been mercury related. After I got out of the military I had a bunch of teeth pulled that had reached a point of more fillings than tooth. Coincidentally the internal medical problem went into remission and has not returned in 15 years. Makes me wonder. Here's a picture of a dental mercury bottle I dug up a while ago. Thought it was an ink til I read the embossing. Has "THE S.S.WHITE DENTAL MFG. CO." around the shoulder and " ONE POUND NET//CHEMICALLY PURE MERCURY" around the base. Bottle looks to be around 1900 so guess dentists used mercury fillings for quite some time. Cliff Attachment (1) (in reply to Flaschenjager) Post #: 13

RE: What have I dug??? - 1/2/2006 10:40:53 AM    Miles   Posts: 252 Joined: 9/6/2005 From: New York Status: offline Here are some vintage pie birds selling on ebay. Pie Birds. (in reply to Flaschenjager) Post #: 14

RE: What have I dug??? - 1/3/2006 9:39:34 AM    cowseatmaize Posts: 2135 Joined: 12/2/2004 From: Metro West, MA Status: offline Hi, I just read another article calling the whole thing a scam. It must go back and forth I guess. BTW, are eggs good for you this week, how 'bout coffee? I can't remember. Probably the fillings giving me memory loss... could be the eggs though. _____________________________ My 10¢ worth (inflation) Eric If you love what your doing it might be illegal, so watch your back. (in reply to Flaschenjager) Post #: 15

RE: What have I dug??? - 1/3/2006 10:00:37 AM    Ye Olde Prospector   Posts: 614 Joined: 1/23/2005 From: Bath, Maine Status: offline Guess it is still a FACT that mercury is harmful to humans and other life forms though. (in reply to Flaschenjager) Post #: 16

RE: What have I dug??? - 1/3/2006 4:12:11 PM    capsoda Posts: 8084 Joined: 11/15/2005 From: Seminole,Alabama, USA Status: offline Amen Cliff. _____________________________ Warren Diggin down in Dixie, USA Work is for people who don't dig bottles President, Panhandle Cruisers http://www.panhandlecruisers.org/ (in reply to Flaschenjager) Post #: 17

RE: What have I dug??? - 1/4/2006 5:44:34 PM    slimdigger Posts: 116 Joined: 9/4/2004 From: Richmond, Va. Status: offline Meech, I sent a picture of your bird to Dave Beeler. Digger Dave on ebay. He said that the bird was a toy whistle. He valued the whistle in the 100 dollar range. I have seen the pie birds everyone is referring to and the base is definitely different from the one you have. I think you may have a whistle to toot instead of a pie bird as all the pie birds I have ever seen were ceramic. _____________________________ Bruce RABCA : President FOHBC: Member web site : www.slimdigger.com (in reply to Flaschenjager) Post #: 18

RE: What have I dug??? - 1/4/2006 8:06:10 PM    Ye Olde Prospector   Posts: 614 Joined: 1/23/2005 From: Bath, Maine Status: offline Hi Bruce, That's an interesting bit of info. Sounds quite likely. Don't think I would pay that for one though. Cliff (in reply to Flaschenjager) Post #: 19

RE: What have I dug??? - 1/4/2006 10:39:43 PM    Flaschenjager Posts: 1183 Joined: 12/21/2002 From: Central Virginia - USA Status: offline Hello all - After a bit of time looking around, searching eBay ongoing and completed auctions and so on, I still haven't seen a metal pie bird. Either the metal types are more scarce or as Slim mentioned ...They are something other than pie birds (at least until evidence shows otherwise). They don't even resemble the pie birds I've seen, so far. The one I have must be broken off at stem area (it seems to be). I'd love to see the complete whistle to finalize these findings. _____________________________ 'Meech' Our websites: http://mysite.verizon.net/flaschenjager/bottles.html Member of FOHBC - RABCA - APBCA Editor of 'The Digger' in full color! Please support the forums with a donation or purchase! (in reply to Flaschenjager) Post #: 20

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