I think gypsy and pbk got it right on the nose----its too small in size to be a hook for ice or wood or cargo and not "sharp" enough---the "handles" of the all metal type hooks were large enough for the whole hand to grasp on it and it was "swung " using the arm in a "swinging" movement to "stab into the object"---lots of items were oftenshipped in a burlap "sacks" in the old days and the hooks were used to move them around bydock labors--they would stab them into the bags and lift them or drag them around --the hooks were very sharp--and deadly---the mobs fought over the loading docks in NYC---over who would control the docks and thus the loading and unloading jobs---they used them as weapons on one another ---thus the "red hook" area of new york was named--modern types often have a thick "wooden" broom stick type handle and a steel rod type body sharpend at the end and aren't nearly as heavy duty as the old ones--- Ivan
