Mick & Phil just about had a “photo finish” on this one!
Mick’s initial inadvertently off-list response came in at 4:29, followed by two
others, then Phil’s arrived at 5:24, less than an hour later.

Thanks to you gentlemen, I now have a 100% positive identification of this tool!

Note that I was way off, hypothesizing that it was a tree-grafting tool!

Now, if I could only remember where I got it! I’ve been sorting recent
acquisitions; this was in a bag with some other stuff that I do recall
purchasing, but where this Line Pin came from is a question mark.

John Ruth





Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 6, 2020, at 5:53 PM, Mick Dowling mailto:spacelysprocket@b...">mailto:spacelysprocket@b...>> wrote:

Hi John, GGs

Second attempt, posting to the list this time.

Here’s either a link to a photo of my collection of line pins, or a link to an
album. If it’s the album it’s pic 22 and 23.

You’ll see a US style pin which might be more familiar to you on the far right
side of pic 23.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Whb932PaeWX6RR8u9

Yes, I collect line pins. I may be the worlds foremost collector. I may also be
the worlds only collector.

Mick Dowling
47 Patterson st.
Coburg Vic 3058
Australia



On 7 Jan 2020, at 7:40 am, John Ruth mailto:johnrruth@h...">mailto:johnrruth@h...>> wrote:

GG’s, esp. UK Galoots:

I have a mystery tool in hand.

Marked “25 / BRADES / Made in England”

Does anyone have a Brades catalog, other than the 1941 edition posted online at
toolemera.com<http://toolemera.com><http://toolemera.com">http://toolemera.com>? ( That 1941 edition does
not list pattern 25 on the index page. )

Bugbear contributed this back in 2005:
http://swingleydev.com/ot/get/144874/single/

The tool is about 6”long, a single steel forging.  The “business end” looks like
a Bay Leaf in profile, which is 3” long and 3/4” wide.  The 1/8” cross section
is “lenticular,” meaning it’s like the cross section of a convex lens. The edges
are DULL.

The 1/4” dia. shank of the tool ends in a 1” round flat top about 1/8” thick.
No signs of hammering on this flat top.

No idea what it’s purpose was, or even what trade it belongs to, as it’s clear
that Brades / William Huntsman & Sons made tools for a wide variety of trades,
including mason and agriculture tools.

My current best SWAG is that it’s for grafting fruit trees, but don’t ask me why
I believe this.

John Ruth

Sent from my iPhone
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