clay pipe tamper.

Vino

Vino

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Jul 7, 2013
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Found this couple weeks ago and just thought it was something off of furniture or a candle..Looking in my colonial artifact book tonight and found one very similar..They explained what it was used for..Pretty cool, Thought i would share with you guys..So if you find something like it now you know..
George
 

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Upvote 11
Now that's pretty darn cool! I don't think I've ever seen one of those dug around here
 

John Winter said:
Interesting find. If it's a pipe tamper than it is rather unique. I've never seen one with a rounded end as shown which wouldn't be ideally suited to tamp down the tobacco in the bowl. You'll get the idea of the end shown in all these examples: Bawdy Pipe Tampers (and others) found by Metal Detectorists | John Winter

I'd call it 'not fit for purpose'.
Click to expand...
W.T.H :laughing7:Very interesting I had no idea they made allot of them in depictions like that. Neat find vino,It looks like a Cherub on the top.a very modest Cherub:laughing7:very cool piece
 

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John Winter said:
Interesting find. If it's a pipe tamper than it is rather unique. I've never seen one with a rounded end as shown which wouldn't be ideally suited to tamp down the tobacco in the bowl. You'll get the idea of the end shown in all these examples: Bawdy Pipe Tampers (and others) found by Metal Detectorists | John Winter

I'd call it 'not fit for purpose'.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your resource John.
I see what your talking about.
Although the one i found does have a flat spot on the bottom..Looks as though it has been used alot..If not a tamper, any ideas what it could be?
 

DigIron2 said:
W.T.H :laughing7:Very interesting I had no idea they made allot of them in depictions like that. Neat find vino,It looks like a Cherub on the top.a very modest Cherub:laughing7:very cool piece
Click to expand...

Lol..Yes very shy!!!!
Thanks DI..
 

The first piece in Johns post kind of made me feel bad about myself:)!Man you do find the darndest things.I would think it is a bowl tamper?But he does make a point.
 

So I guess close counts in... horse shoes, hand grenades, and pipe tampers? :)

That would not have been my first guess, but since I'm still thinking of a guess, I guess I don't have much to add.
 

Vino said:
Thanks for your resource John.
I see what your talking about.
Although the one i found does have a flat spot on the bottom..Looks as though it has been used alot..If not a tamper, any ideas what it could be?
Click to expand...

Vino - my blog post was primarily about bawdy tampers and this may have caused a distraction, but there were others, all showing a flat base. I am almost sure that what you have isn't a tamper and I'm sorry that I cannot offer another plausible suggestion.

 

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John Winter said:
Vino - my blog post was primarily about bawdy tampers and this may have caused a distraction, but there were others, all showing a flat base. I am almost sure that what you have isn't a tamper and I'm sorry that I cannot offer another plausible suggestion.
Click to expand...


Totally agree.... get that baby going on the what's it!
 

Sorry if I caused a distraction fellas,I guess that did come off a little immature, I was just trying to have fun,maybe its some kind of stopper for a decanter or something like that?Have a Merry Christmas -HH
 

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DigIron2 said:
Sorry if I caused a distraction fellas,I guess that did come off a little immature, I was just trying to have fun,maybe its some kind of stopper for a decanter or something like that?Have a Merry Christmas -HH
Click to expand...

No worries DI...I thought it was funny..
Dont take life to serious..
George
 

George - that's a very cool find. But I've never seen a tamper with a round base like yours. All the ones I've seen personally and in reference books have a flat base. These are very difficult artifacts to date, and I don't know of any in the literature that can be dated based on the archaeological context in which they were found. That is, except for an amazing one I witnessed my buddy Stan dig from a 17th century trash pit a few years ago. Pics of his are below, and this tamper bears a likeness of a colonial soldier of the period. One way to get a rough date for a tamper is to consider the diameter of the base. Since the early (17th century) pipe bowls were quite small, it would take a tamper with a correspondingly small base to use with them. Stan's tamper has a very small base that matches up nicely with the bowls of that period. I can't tell what the diameter of your base is, but it doesn't look all that small. I have a large number of intact 18th century pipe bowls, and the average opening at the top of the bowl averages about 15-16mm, and then tapers down. A couple of my early, bulbous bowls run smaller at only about 11mm, and Stan's tamper will fit them. If yours is less than 15mm it could possibly have been used during the 18th century. But if its bigger than 16mm it either fit a newer, larger pipe bowl, or it might not be a tamper at all. Anyway, just thought I'd throw my 2 cents worth out there. Again, very nice recovery.

stans pipe tamper1.jpg

stans pipe tamper2.jpg
 

Bill D. (VA) said:
George - that's a very cool find. But I've never seen a tamper with a round base like yours. All the ones I've seen personally and in reference books have a flat base. These are very difficult artifacts to date, and I don't know of any in the literature that can be dated based on the archaeological context in which they were found. That is, except for an amazing one I witnessed my buddy Stan dig from a 17th century trash pit a few years ago. Pics of his are below, and this tamper bears a likeness of a colonial soldier of the period. One way to get a rough date for a tamper is to consider the diameter of the base. Since the early (17th century) pipe bowls were quite small, it would take a tamper with a correspondingly small base to use with them. Stan's tamper has a very small base that matches up nicely with the bowls of that period. I can't tell what the diameter of your base is, but it doesn't look all that small. I have a large number of intact 18th century pipe bowls, and the average opening at the top of the bowl averages about 15-16mm, and then tapers down. A couple of my early, bulbous bowls run smaller at only about 11mm, and Stan's tamper will fit them. If yours is less than 15mm it could possibly have been used during the 18th century. But if its bigger than 16mm it either fit a newer, larger pipe bowl, or it might not be a tamper at all. Anyway, just thought I'd throw my 2 cents worth out there. Again, very nice recovery.

View attachment 1096195

View attachment 1096197
Click to expand...

Bill,

This tamper is awesome and appears to be George slaying dragon correct?

https://www.google.com/search?q=geo...v&sa=X&ei=KhSaVJiYKLCPsQTIuoL4Bg&ved=0CB0QsAQ
 

Bill D. (VA) said:
George - that's a very cool find. But I've never seen a tamper with a round base like yours. All the ones I've seen personally and in reference books have a flat base. These are very difficult artifacts to date, and I don't know of any in the literature that can be dated based on the archaeological context in which they were found. That is, except for an amazing one I witnessed my buddy Stan dig from a 17th century trash pit a few years ago. Pics of his are below, and this tamper bears a likeness of a colonial soldier of the period. One way to get a rough date for a tamper is to consider the diameter of the base. Since the early (17th century) pipe bowls were quite small, it would take a tamper with a correspondingly small base to use with them. Stan's tamper has a very small base that matches up nicely with the bowls of that period. I can't tell what the diameter of your base is, but it doesn't look all that small. I have a large number of intact 18th century pipe bowls, and the average opening at the top of the bowl averages about 15-16mm, and then tapers down. A couple of my early, bulbous bowls run smaller at only about 11mm, and Stan's tamper will fit them. If yours is less than 15mm it could possibly have been used during the 18th century. But if its bigger than 16mm it either fit a newer, larger pipe bowl, or it might not be a tamper at all. Anyway, just thought I'd throw my 2 cents worth out there. Again, very nice recovery.

<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1096195"/>

<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1096197"/>
Click to expand...

Thanks Bill for your response.
I just measured it and it is just under 16mm..about a half inch..
Also that one ur buddy found is incredible..I really dig this kind of stuff..
Coins are great but this personal stuff teally hits home with me..
Thanks again.
George
 

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So, I decided to give antiquity one last chance.

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