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Been around farms since I was 5 years old and never saw one of those. Only thing I can think of is a stop for a swinging barn door. PJ
 
Hint #2: it's used to keep something sharp.
 
Wet Stone, Plow shear? :chair:
 
Thought it may have been a boot scraper, but now no clue.
 
Gentlemen, gentlemen - do you mean you all use those gol'dern noisy dirty modern gasoline powered lawn mowers????

The tool is a peening anvil!

Jeez - young folks today ...
 
Must have been an expensive one with all that gingerbread in the middle of it!:highly_amused:
 
gingerbread?
 
OK - I'm dense. I'm guessing you mean the curled up iron at the center. That's to prevent the tool from going lower and lower into the support wood. Some anvils have them, some don't.

We use US and European style scythes at Sturbridge Village all the time. You use a whetstone for quick sharpening in the field; the anvil is for more careful long-term sharpening, either in the field or back at the barn.

In case anyone here has never sharpened a scythe blade ... here's "the rest of the story" -

 
NutmegCT said:
Gentlemen, gentlemen - do you mean you all use those gol'dern noisy dirty modern gasoline powered lawn mowers????

The tool is a peening anvil!

Jeez - young folks today ...
Click to expand...

I'm missing something:

nXvc7hK.jpg

The pointed shape of the end of the tool would make peening anything (as shown in the video) impossible if the goal was to flatten and draw the surface.

The step on the side appears to have a sloped surface, and the mass of metal above it effectively shields the step from hammer blows.

Could you explain how this tool is actually put to use??
 
I'll do my best to explain, but I'm sure no expert.

Hammer the anvil point down into the bench, stump, log, etc.until the "gingerbread" stops it.

Use a flat hammer on the cutting edge of the blade, held on to two-sided top surface of the anvil. The two-sides allow you to rotate the blade up/down to draw out the edge without having to actually move the blade front/back.

If you have a cross peen hammer, you can use the lower "flat" surface. Most old farmers would prefer the top angled point, as it gives slightly finer control and allows a slightly sharper edge. You can also find a simple wide but slightly curved anvil, which requires a cross peen hammer.

Here's another illustration, this time using a flat hammer on an angled two-side anvil similar to the photo I first posted:


Hope this helps.
 
Thank you!

I have no hammers in my tool boxes because I never thought of them as precision tools, but this chap puts them into a new light! (opps...I do have a 4 oz ball peen for setting the occasional roll pin)
 
You're welcome! The cool thing to me is that a good scythe-man can hammer out the blade edge with the care and dexterity of a surgeon. Really an almost lost art. Once you're mowing a field, it almost induces a "trance" in the person using the scythe.
 
I swear I have seen something like that a zillion times ... but my mind remains completely blank.

grumble grumble
 
Are we looking at the bow, the bamboo cutting board & cups or both as a set?

The wood bow would be for carrying a small pail or bucket on each end; the end-grain bamboo cutting board is obvious, but the two as a pair I can't place.
 
Looking at the wooden bow. The butcher block etc is a big hint. It is not for carrying buckets of water.
 
I'm 99% sure that "bow" is a gut hook. An *old* gut hook. Used during the butchering of pigs, cows, sheep.

(I think ...)
 
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