1880's Small Quality Handmade Steel Hand Shovel MaineFa

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Antique small & unusually high quality handmade heavy steel Maine farm household hand held shovel with it's original & fine old natural usage worn smooth surface, it's original pierced, cut & folded steel handle top, it's original cut & folded steel handle shaft, it's original hand formed shovel tray, it's original fine quality and rugged construction in fine & perfect original condition including minor light surface rust, usage wear and usage soiling all considered as positive features and retaining it's original silky smooth old, dry, naturally oxidized and age tone darkened surface, as found . Maine , 1900's. Guaranteed old and original; this is not a fake or reproduction. Actual weight 3/4 lb. 12" tall by 3 3⁄4" wide at the shovel blade fore edge by 1 3/8" tall resting. Antique small & unusually high quality handmade heavy steel Maine farm household hand held shovel with it's original & fine old natural usage worn smooth surface, it's original pierced, cut & folded steel handle top, it's original cut & folded steel handle shaft, it's original hand formed shovel tray, it's original fine quality and rugged construction in fine & perfect original condition including minor light surface rust, usage wear and usage soiling all considered as positive features and retaining it's original silky smooth old, dry, naturally oxidized and age tone darkened surface, as found. We found this in the tool shed hanging up high and dry. It is wonderful and comes alive as an object when handled. It has two subtle features that command respect. First is the heavy steel it is made from and second is the way it is made. The two combine to make an exceptionally pleasing object for old iron lovers. When we first spied this shovel hanging on it's nail, it appeared to be a rusted child's sand pail style shovel. This it is not. It was concisely handmade by someone very skilled, perhaps a local blacksmith, who used a thick sheet of steel and shaped, by cutting, punching, folding and forming on an anvil, the whole shovel. The top handle, again noting this is heavy steel, was beautifully cut, pierced and folded. This cutting and folding continues down the handle. At the shovel tray, the cut & fold process ceased, inclusive of a small and original miss cut, and the whole shovel was carefully formed using a hammer and an anvil. Remarkable as a whole production, the shovel delights each time it is inspected with one being drawn to the edges and folds and the feel of the whole smooth surface. We do not know exactly what this shovel was used for. Although resembling a sand pail shovel, it is by far, far, FAR superior in quality of material and make so was never a toy. Additionally it has a delightful and fine old dark yet silky smooth surface that supports the other qualities of the shovel make, screams "old" and has rich depth when inspected. It is a singular find for us and is truly as fine as our gush says it is. Very good as found condition. The shovel is in perfect original condition as found. The shovel shows appropriate light wear & light surface rust to the surface from actual Maine farm usage and this has created a rich original and very smooth old surface that is wonderful. It is very lightly Maine farm estate soiled, as found. Again, the shovel is in perfect condition, very real, appealing and attractive. Right out of the tool shed by the barn, the old steel shovel has appropriate surface oxidation, age toning and soiling for it's age and from it's old farm residence. Please see photographs. As found in August of 2007 in an estate near Montville , Maine . Seeking things fresh found in attics? Please see our listings from current estates in our Ebay auctions, please check our Ebay store for selections from our business stock and please check our Ebay ME page for calendar updates and shipping dates. Please purchase with confidence for we are both eBay and PayPal financially ID verified This was hanging up in the tool shed. We have done nothing to this at all; it is just as we found it. It looks like ... read more

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