A special find!

[Mick_VT]

Today I am extremely excited to have added something to my collection that is very relevant to my house.

My house was built by a blacksmith of some repute. John L Hall was renowned not just for his general blacksmithing, but also for making "fine edged tools." Here is one of his business envelopes:

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Here is JLH out side his blacksmith shop in the late 1870s. The shop still stands and is now a private dwelling. Yoiu can see it in the foreground of our header images on the District pages

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Last week when browsing ebay I came across this beauty:

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Clearly stamped with the maker's name and town

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It took some bidding, but I won it, and today it arrived. John L Hall was born in 1806, and stopped blacksmithing around 1885. His shop then changing hands, so that puts this chisel as mid to late 19th century. Hand made, and by the looks of it used very recently (it is well honed and extremely sharp). Being a woodworker I am tempted to use it. Being a historian I am tempted to just keep it. I may have to do a bit of both.

Right now I am busy doing a happy dance!

[Al F. Furnituremaker]

Looks like he is talking on a cell phone in that picture.

[Mick_VT]

Looks like he is talking on a cell phone in that picture.

Ha, it does! Looking closely at the original it revealed he was holding a large hammer on his shoulder

[nhguy]

I will keep my eye out for tools with that name as I go to antique shops in northern NH.

[Gothichome]

Mick, well done. I can see skill in its manufacture. Nice even taper to the square stock. Nice even width the whole length. Steel holding an edge after who knows how many sharpenings, I bet the tempering is consistent over the whole length as well. Best keep a close eye on it. Al, Casey or one of the other fine carpenters will be envious. Hell, even I'm envious. It is though, a tool, to be used, even if on the rare occasion. I can see a lot of very deep mortises in your future.

[mjt]

That's a beautiful tool!

My great-grandfather was a stone mason and I have some of his tools. I use the tools on occasion. and it is a great way to connect with history.

[heartwood]

mick, I support going with both, using and caring for the historic tool...if it was me who made it 150 years ago, I would want to know that someone put it to good use and appreciated the historic value...
yes, indeed, a great find!

...jade

[Lily left the valley]

Definitely a neat find. The length of that really has me curious as to what it was intentionally built for then.

I wonder if the folks you were bidding against had any plans to use the tool, or just wanted to add it to a collection.

I'm also of the use, but sparingly, mindset.

I have my paternal grandfather's painting and wallpapering tools, and in one rushed move, spouse just tossed them all in two plastic open sided milk crates. When I found them in that state, I went bananas. I had to explain to him that these are not only older than him, but we'd be hard pressed to find their like if we could find them at all. So tossing them in a bin where the bristles will get caught and splayed the wrong ways is never ever to happen again.

[Mick_VT]

Definitely a neat find. The length of that really has me curious as to what it was intentionally built for then.

I wonder if the folks you were bidding against had any plans to use the tool, or just wanted to add it to a collection.

It was likely intended to be used when framing, but it's a handy size for other times when you might want a deep mortise. My hunch is that they other bidders were likely collectors, there was one who wanted it really bad (but not as bad as me)

[Duffy666]

Great find Mick!