✅ SOLVED How do I put a est, date on the Old handheld hoes I find?

[Davers]

How do I put a est, date on the Old handheld hoe's I find?

I have dug quite a few over the years , dug one yesterday.
Is there a site or Book that shows Hoe's & styles from different time periods.

I pictured one a couple weeks back.

Just wondering how much effort I should put into Cleaning these pieces, I know Beauty is in the eye of the beholder , some would look good all cleaned up and displayed at say a Cracker Barrel or some place like that or someones Garage.

Just don't have room here. TMI I know..
Davers

 

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[villagenut]

Yes beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I just happen to love old iron artifacts. Hand forged more so than cast pieces. Yes I clean all of it up and often am glad I did. There is a whole lot of work involved in doing so and in most cases the outcome is not so desirabl;e for most people...but in my case it is not the value of an artifact but the history it tells, especially if where you find it can be traced to a certain family and time period...In my eyes, she is a beaut.BTW I would like to know of this book you mention. Is this solved?

 

[Davers]

Is this solved?... Not Quite But your post does help.
Still lookin for that Book or web site.
I suppose Hand Forged Pieces will be older & more Unique As each black Smith had 'similar IMO' but diff, styles.

I would say the piece on the Right is Pretty old ( really like that "Moon-Scape " look).
You better start a -chippin away on the hoe on the left it's got some build-up. lol
Thanks for your reply.
Davers

 

[villagenut]

both pics are of the same hoe, before and after. I usually put them in a tank as soon as I find them. It took quite a while to get it looking like this. All the cancerous rust has got to come off.Even after you clean them up, you got to check periodically on them because it can come back. Yes this one was hand forged and they do clean up better,because for one they usually don't crack and fall apart like cast iron .