older metal tool ? found off a dock

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RCO

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found this off a dock using a metal magnet , the dock has been there since 1870's . its been a busy location for some time so I had a hard time determining what this item was or when its from .

it appeared to have been down there for a long time , as its very dirty and dark black coloured . size is around 4 or 5 " wide and 7 or 8 " long

not exactly sure what it is ? appears to have had a handle or attached to something . not much of a tool person so not able to id it any further .

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Csa

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My first thought was a whaling implement. You ever heard of a flensing knife. Most are much diff shaped and sharp, but I’ve seen this shape too. Any evidence of a sharp edge on it? That’s my only hunch. Could be any kind of boating/fishing tool from bygone era. Where is this dock located?
 

CanadianBottles

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My first thought was a whaling implement. You ever heard of a flensing knife. Most are much diff shaped and sharp, but I’ve seen this shape too. Any evidence of a sharp edge on it? That’s my only hunch. Could be any kind of boating/fishing tool from bygone era. Where is this dock located?
RCO is in the Muskoka region of Ontario, so I'm pretty confident it doesn't have anything to do with whaling. That's a few hundred kilometres too far inland to find any whales. I'm at a loss as to what it is though, doesn't look like any tool I've ever seen before, apart from an ice chopper. Which I guess it could be, since it was found in Ontario. Never seen one that was rounded though, and I have no idea what purpose those holes would have.
 

RCO

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My first thought was a whaling implement. You ever heard of a flensing knife. Most are much diff shaped and sharp, but I’ve seen this shape too. Any evidence of a sharp edge on it? That’s my only hunch. Could be any kind of boating/fishing tool from bygone era. Where is this dock located?

found off a dock in a fresh water lake in Ontario Canada , not near an ocean . never been a commercial fishery there either

is a lot of boats there , seen pictures from the past and that area was filled with wooden boats , canoes etc

was a lot of logging here , during the winter was people who removed bricks of ice from the lakes to ship to other places
 

RCO

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RCO is in the Muskoka region of Ontario, so I'm pretty confident it doesn't have anything to do with whaling. That's a few hundred kilometres too far inland to find any whales. I'm at a loss as to what it is though, doesn't look like any tool I've ever seen before, apart from an ice chopper. Which I guess it could be, since it was found in Ontario. Never seen one that was rounded though, and I have no idea what purpose those holes would have.


I'm pretty sure its not missing any parts either ( other than a wooden handle )

so left totally confused as to what it might of been for , but as it appeared to have been down there for a long time , thinking its at least older than the 1940's
 

willong

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found this off a dock using a metal magnet , the dock has been there since 1870's . its been a busy location for some time so I had a hard time determining what this item was or when its from .

it appeared to have been down there for a long time , as its very dirty and dark black coloured . size is around 4 or 5 " wide and 7 or 8 " long

not exactly sure what it is ? appears to have had a handle or attached to something . not much of a tool person so not able to id it any further .

View attachment 225439View attachment 225440
I generally get a kick out of these "what is it" teasers. This is one where I sincerely hope someone comes up with a definitive answer as I am just going with my best two, minimally-educated guesses. If the "blade" or "spoon" portion of the implement is significantly cupped (it's hard to tell in the plan view), then I think that CanadianBottles is on the right track--it is likely the bit of an ice auger. If instead, that blade portion is relatively flat, then I think it might be a bark spud (tool for peeling logs). The through-slots are a bit baffling in either case. The handle ferrule on a bark spud is often kicked up from the plane of the blade, like most shovels, on the order of 15-degrees; but that is not always the case.
 
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Csa

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Agreed. So whaling tool is out. Perhaps logging implement. Best of luck in finding out.
 

yacorie

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So I love these mysteries also and spent some time digging through old pictures and drawings of both logging and ice harvest tools. I was not able to come up with a match. The ice harvest tools that are anywhere near similar were ice breakers but they were all metal and having one that wasn’t forged as one piece would make no sense.

when I first saw it - my thought was some type of mixing paddle - something that moved easier through liquid with those slats but who knows.

the problem with port areas, whether they were freshwater or not is that it really could be anything. The good thing here is it seems like the type of thing that someone will recognize immediately if they know what it is.

have you tried posting it on any metal detecting or antique ID pages?
 

RCO

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So I love these mysteries also and spent some time digging through old pictures and drawings of both logging and ice harvest tools. I was not able to come up with a match. The ice harvest tools that are anywhere near similar were ice breakers but they were all metal and having one that wasn’t forged as one piece would make no sense.

when I first saw it - my thought was some type of mixing paddle - something that moved easier through liquid with those slats but who knows.

the problem with port areas, whether they were freshwater or not is that it really could be anything. The good thing here is it seems like the type of thing that someone will recognize immediately if they know what it is.

have you tried posting it on any metal detecting or antique ID pages?

no I haven't asked anyone else what it was , just found it yesterday . don't really know anyone here into old tools or metal objects

i agree that since it was found in a port/ dock area is a lot of possible options as to where it came from

there was a number of small boat buildings , canoes in that area , also a small marina , long since disappeared hotel

lake I found it on is fairly large but never had a fishery , been some logging over the years , mostly high end cottages now
 

embe

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...when I first saw it - my thought was some type of mixing paddle - something that moved easier through liquid with those slats but who knows...

First thought that came to my mind as well. Mixing maple syrup maybe, eh?

Now that it's out of the water it'll probably oxidize (rust) pretty quick
 

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