Found these in one of my Great Grandfathers sheds. My father thought the one carved to points were put in the tendons on hogs legs to process them...I pulled out a lot of stuff from the buildings...some really cool primitive rakes and tools. I'm very lucky as our family cabin they build in 1782 is still standing. The state of South Carolina moved it to a state park and rents it out. I rented it for my fathers birthday one weekend...Was really fun. Love that I can track the history back on most of my items. http://search-rs.com/location_detail.aspx?id=027-10057436&page=1288 Just thought I'd share ;-) What are they?
I'm going to take a guess and say they have something to do with cooking outside in large vessels. Perhaps you could give a side view of the two larger pieces. Since you brought up the idea of the pig, maybe something to do with the butchering process.
My thoughts also. Another thought was wooden tools, stirers, for rending fat for lard, tallow for soap, candles, ... in large tanks, vats or cast iron kettles/pots outdoors. --- Susan
Awesome cabin and great history with it!!! SO nice that South Carolina wanted to relocate and preserve it!!!!! Can't help on the "tools" though!!
From the recesses of useless information, the sharp pointed edge piece is probably a gambrel, used to spread the pig's (usually) legs when butchering. The tallest piece may have been for the wash pot or soap making. Love the cabin story! So many parks I haven't been to, although SC seems to have a large number of them. To put on my bucket list for exploring.
The other two look like mallets to me. I have several similar pieces. These would find many uses on a pioneer farm. The smaller would be about right for using a froe. Froes are so hard and brittle that striking them with a metal hammer will break them. The larger would be about right for driving fence 'stobs,' or gluts to split logs. Using them repeatedly against harder materials would explain the chewed-up parts of the heavier ends.
