Anyone know what this old tool is?

[Mesquite]

Recovered this item from a pile of rubbish on an old plant nursery site.

Can't say I've ever seen anything like it before.

It's got sharp edges on the sides lined with red, obviously had a handle mounted on it but no sign of that now. The longest sharp edge is about 6" and it's about 6mm thick.

I may well clean it up because it's unusual but I'd like to know what it is and was for and what sort of length handle it would have been mounted on.

So any ideas?

 

[Big G]

Looks like a old gardening, farming tool, with long broom type handle?

 

[Toddy]

It's almost like a handheld turnip chopper…..I can only find the images for long handles star shaped ones though.
This page a little over three quarters down.
http://www.antiquefarmtools.info/page7.htm

 

[Drain Bamaged]

Could it be for sod cutting?

D.B.

 

[Macaroon]

Could it be for sod cutting?

D.B.

Looks like that to me, too; similar to a turf cutter........

 

[Mesquite]

It's almost like a handheld turnip chopper…..I can only find the images for long handles star shaped ones though.
This page a little over three quarters down.
http://www.antiquefarmtools.info/page7.htm

I can go with it being a chopper of some sort but the sharp edge facing the handle has me stumped as to what it would be used for...

 

[Hibrion]

Looks like it would be dead handy for edging the lawn

 

[oldtimer]

A becket: Fenland term for a peat cutter.

 

[Drain Bamaged]

Wondered about peat cutting too?

D.B.

 

[Drain Bamaged]

hahaha....Snap

 

[booboomana]

its a billhook similar to a parang its used for chopping wood and splitting logs

 

[Mesquite]

A becket: Fenland term for a peat cutter.

All the peat cutter I've seen have a wing that comes forward from the main blade (see picture) which this doesn't. It also doesn't explain why the extra edges are sharpened

 

[decorum]

Given the location of its finding, possibly a type of billhook or pruning chisel???

Pic from here ~ http://billhooks.co.uk/the-uncommon-and-unusual/

 

[Jared]

Given it was found at a nursery...a root cutter?

Modern ones look like spade sized chisels.

 

[Andy T]

There are two tools that can be used for peat cutting. A flachter and a tuska. Not sure of the spellings or which one is used for which now but it could be one of those. One is as in the pic above for cutting the peat one is for removing the top layer to get at the peat.

 

[sunndog]

It's almost like a handheld turnip chopper…..I can only find the images for long handles star shaped ones though.
This page a little over three quarters down.
http://www.antiquefarmtools.info/page7.htm

Brilliant link there mary, thanks. I'll be browsing that for ages

 

[Joonsy]

I would guess that's an old long handled pruning tool, the sharp edge pointing towards the user suggests that together with the socketed handle fitting.

 

[Monikieman]

A thistle spud for weeding?

 

[HillBill]

I'd also say a turf/peat cutter...... it could be used for brush cutting too possibly. Is it a whole piece? Or has their been something snapped off somewhere? It makes no sense for the area not marked red to be blunt... as for cutting turf and peat, that would be the bit that first cut into the soil......It would cut to a certain depth, and then be pulled to cut through turf and root.

 

[HillBill]

On the other hand, it also looks like a large version of the tool we use to remove weeds etc from between stone paving....

Bit like this....

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61OATuzLVtL.jpg