What's this used for?

[pigman]

This is a specialty tool that I last used in 1986. What is it used for? I think cedarman has used one like it when he was younger. :-\


Bob

[Tom_Averwater]

It is a spear point for a tobacco stick.

[jon12345]

It's a midieval hunting weapon, you're supposed to drop it out of a tree onto a deer's head.  :D

[bitternut]

Its a gage for measuring O-Rings

[metalspinner]

Do you wrap little piggies tails around it to get them to curl? :D

[PawNature]

Tobacco Spear

[pigman]

And Tom_Averwater has the correct answer. 8) This next photo is the whole set used to cut tobacco ( pronounced backer by the local hillbillies). I made the tomahawk in 1959 out of a handsaw blade and one of the handles of an old Mall two man chainsaw. That is the only tomahawk I ever used in the 26 years I raised tobacco. The store bought wooden handle ones would only last a couple of years before the handle would wear away.

Bob

[jon12345]

How is tobacco harvested that ya need a hatchet and a mideival deer slaying tool to do it? ???

[tnlogger]

bob I always used a pull knife was faster and better on the back  ;D

[PawNature]

Spent many a day cutting, spearing and hanging. There were 5 of us boys, and Daddy was determined to get his moneys worth out of us. It seamed like he leased every tobacco patch in Eastern KY.

[pigman]

Sorry PawNature, you  also had the answer, I was posting and missed it.
Tnloggger, what is a pull knife?

jon12345, burley tobacco is the type of tobacco that uses the spear and tomahawk to harvest it.   The spear is placed on top of the tobacco stick, a 4 ft wooden stick about the size of a drying sticker. The mature plant, about 4 or five feet tall is cut just above ground level with the tomahawk. The plant is then speared on the tobacco stick. Six plants, called stalks ,are usually placed on a stick. The sticks of tobacco are then hauled to the tobacco barn and hung on rails, called tiers, to air dry for about two months. The tobacco is then taken down and the leaves are stripped from the stalks and taken to market.
Bob

[Cedarman]

Tobacco growing was one of those down to earth jobs.  I enjoyed it once I figured out how to grow great tobacco.  Loved pulling the heads off tobacco worms. I like it now that the rest of you are paying me not to grow backy.  Most of my sticks have ended up as stickers, but still have a few piles.  Oh, the memories. 

Pigman, now just why did you bring this up?

I keep one of those knives on a shelf in the shed. Never know when you need to fight off an intruder.  The only thing sharper than a tobacco knive is a barbers' razor.

[katie-did]

   I'll be the young one that comes in and say "boy that brings back memories". My great-grandfather always grow bacca in east TN when I was a kid. I was never old enough to have to/get to help. But when I was there I would go out to the field with him and be the water girl. Boy they got thirsty.
   When we bought our farm in VA it came with bacca allotments. I thought it would be fun when we were finally living down there to try and grow some. But we took the buy out. I guess that dose not stop me from trying but heck by the time we get down there they will probably outlaw bacca.
   It is also really nice to see that I am not alone anymore. I never say Tobacco it is bacca here in the north no one ever understood me. 

[PawNature]

Actually pronounced "Backer" :D :D
Least ways in this neck of the woods
One of them, you might be a Redneck words..

[katie-did]

PawNature
Ya Grandad alway said "Backer" but I was only 4 years old and could just not get it out so I always said "Backa" so that kind of stuck.
Part-Trimer always makes fun of me because I was born and raised in IN but my heart and soal was in the hills. Don't talk much like a yankee.
I get down in VA and the South takes over TOTALY. My daughter say she's "Got her mountian on". Just who I am and I know it has to be in the blood because she has got it too!
I just wish that I could write it. Them DanG English teacher won that battle.

[PawNature]

 :D :D :D

[tnlogger]

 bob a pull knife has a 5: blade on it sota lick a sithe with a 4' handle
you grab a stock pan pull toward you the cot the stock.
my son and I did a lot od contract cutting in the 90"s
I cut he spiked  on a good day we could cut and spike 1800 to 2000 sticks
a day but the most you could get was .25cents a stick hard was to make
a living  :D

[pigman]

Pigman, now just why did you bring this up?

My neighbor just cut his "backer" this week. Every year I am more thankful that I don't have to cut and house backer anymore. Cutting backer is a young persons task, not for a mature person like me. Most all the backer in this area is harvested by Mexicans now.
Bob

[Modat22]

I was gonna say that thing was a gnomes hat.

[SwampDonkey]

Seems to me, I'de be working with a partner on this tobacco harvesting deal. And I'de invest in a hand sythe and a sharpening stone. I'de do the whacking and you can do the gathering. 'Cept, lets modify the gathering end of the deal so I can gather my half of the pay at the end of the week. ;D

Mr Piggy, I found something similar to your spear head in my grand father's old scrap iron pile. Only it had a collar on the wide end. I figured that collar would sit right nice on the end of a piece of 2 inch galvanized pipe I also picked up in the scrap pile. I then had me an indestructable spear. I'de walk all over the back pasture and toss that spear about for a few hours in a day. I think the odd cow shade spruce became a target as I'de try to jab it into the tree. The things a kid does for recreation.  ;D :

[Larry]

Think ?? we are the only market west of the Mississippi.  Two counties in NW Missouri and one in Kansas have bases.  Market is in Weston, Missouri.

Bout the only thing that I miss with backer is when I first bought my mill you could make good money sawing sticks...if you had a pointer they even sold higher.  That only lasted a few years because of the decline in bases.  Guess maybe I miss the cold refreshments at day's end also. ;D 

I try to keep a real low profile this time of year...Mexican's will be a no show and one of the neighbors will be lookin for help.

My spear is sharper than pigman's...but I'm jealous cause I don't have no custom made tomahawk. :D :D

[pigman]

Larry, there is burley tobacco grown in your area because a bunch of Kentucky hillbillies moved out there in the 1800s.  I am sure they took their tobacco raising knowledge with them. My grandfathers cousin, Zerelda Cole James and her husband Robert, moved to Kearney Mo. in 1842. They had two sons that were not very good at raising tobacco, but were fairly good at finding money in other ways. ;)
Bob

[PawNature]

Larry, there is burley tobacco grown in your area because a bunch of Kentucky hillbillies moved out there in the 1800s.

Probably to get away from raising backer..

[Larry]

I've heard tell of those boys...rob the rich and give to the poor.  Rumor has it they hid a large sum of money round here...maybe on our farm. ;D