RFD MAIL lock and axe on probably last trip to site

[TNGUNS]

Found an old RFD MAIL LOCK (rural free delivery mail) and axe on the little house site I found yesterday. Only hunted it about an hour this evening and went looking for another house I suspect to be in the same area. It is a rotten can, mason jar lid, nightmare. At least they were musical if not neat as I have found more harmonica reed holders than you can shake a stick at around the site. Nothing really early for the area and the T2 overloads on the rotten cans about every other step. On to greener pastures and will keep this as a back-up. Dying to revisit some of the old flat button yielding sites with the T2. Just waiting on the hay to be cut. Not liking the fact the T2 sounds off the overload so often, but I guess you don't hit many places this trashy. Got an axe head and part of a stove in a pic for good measure.

 

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[dig kzoo]

Great lock! Looks like a slaymaker.

 

[TNGUNS]

dig kzoo, I don't know. Haven't really tried to look up much other than what the RFD MAIL was. Saw some pics of similar locks but that was about it. Started in 1896 here in TN and saw similar lock dated 1910-1920 but didn't get any further.

 

[dig kzoo]

Great piece of postal history no matter the make.

 

[johnnyblaze]

Nice lock man

You need the small coil for real trashy areas...

Blaze

 

[VOL1266-X]

That lock is cool TNG. Lots of old homesites that will be productive for you along the Tennessee River. Old Stonewall can tell you how to use apple cider vinegar to treat the axe head. HH, Q.

 

[TNGUNS]

johnnyblaze, when I first found the site I used the 11 but went back with the 5. It is about 3/4 mile in from where I parked and took a backpack with both on the second trip. I only used the big one trying to locate another home I think is in the same area. This place is bizarre trashy. I love the little coil and would honestly guess that I will use it nearly as much as the big one once a site is located. >>>>>>>> VOL 1266-X, I have dug a few that have the steel cutting edge forged into the iron and treasure those. The later iron stuff usually doesn't get cleaned ha ha.

 

[ModernMiner]

Sweet lock.
Good luck on the new spots.
-MM-

 

[cti4sw]

I love old axe heads. When I get my house I will probably have quite a collection mounted on the walls of the garage or basement.

Btw, thanks for the reminder to check on mine. It's been in ACV for a few weeks now and I should probably have a look at it.

 

[Valley Ranger]

Hey TNGUNS - those are really cool old locks with some neat history. Great find! I found one identical to it a year or so ago. I believe that date to about 1900-1920. Here's what my research revealed about them:

"RFD" - "MAIL". 2 1/8" high x 1 5/8" wide. Brass case. Brass shackle. Warded. Mfg by: S. R. Slaymaker.

Since it began as an experiment in 1896, Rural Free Delivery (RFD) Service enabled an increasing number of rural Americans to send and receive mail from their residences. To receive the service, a family’s mailbox had to be easily accessible, and on the road traveled by their carrier. Families whose homes were far away from their mailbox insured the security of their mail by attaching locks to the mailbox. Local postmasters allowed this practice, as long as carriers were provided with a key.
Manufacturers addressed this need by producing and selling specially labeled “RFD” mail locks. The official-looking locks were neither produced nor provided by the Post Office Department.

I'd recommend using apple cider vinegar on that axe head. Knock off as much rust and dirt as possible, submerge it in the ACV for about 3 days, take out and wire brush it, put it back in and repeat the process until you're happy with the results. You can use a Dremel to remove the tough spots. Then put a thin coat of cooking oil on it, before it "flash rusts", pop it in the oven at about 200 degrees for an hour. Let it cool, spray it with WD40 and hang it on a new handle. Makes a great display or put her back into service!

 

[TNGUNS]

Old Stonewall, Would love to find a really good axe head to put back into service. Especially an old felling type axe. I have dug many axe heads but most are well into there wear.

 

[Valley Ranger]

Old Stonewall, Would love to find a really good axe head to put back into service. Especially an old felling type axe. I have dug many axe heads but most are well into there wear.

Pick out your best one and experiment. I think you'll be surprised. Of course, a logger/lumberman would not want to use a pitted axe head. The smoother the better for cutting through the wood. But they still make nice displays and I've used mine to split firewood.