✅ SOLVED What was this shovel/spade made for?

[Joturkey]

I found this in a barn at an estate sale, stamped: "O.Ames CO", heavy gauge steel blade, I researched the company and internet extensively but can not even find a picture of this. Can anyone tell me what it would have been used for? I bought it for prying rocks out of the ground which it is great for that. TIA for any help.
Kent

 

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[Back-of-the-boat]

Pretty sure it is a trenching shovel.

 

[ticndig]

Here's what I see , no point so not meant for digging. no place to push with your foot so again not for digging. a very thick curved blade used to pry up leads me to think it's a roofers shovel, used to pull off old roofs

 

[Rmeav8r]

https://www.amesfreelibrary.org/ames-shovel-company-chronology

Might be older than you think. Oliver Ames changed the name of company from O. Ames Company to Oliver Ames & Sons Company in 1844.

 

[Rmeav8r]

https://stonehill-website.s3.amazonaws.com/files/resources/1926-ames-catalog.pdf

That might be close to it on page 51 of catalogue.

 

[eyemustdigtreasure]

a tool to remove bark from logs - a "barking shovel"...! lol

 

[ticndig]

Chromed handles aren't too old .

 

[ticndig]

Eyemustdigtresure got it right, It's a bark spud.

 

[wainzoid]

Reminds me of my dibble bar, but is something else.

 

[wainzoid]

Didn't appear to be sharpened like a bark spud would be.

 

[ticndig]

no place to put your foot like a dibble bar . having a chrome handle how old could it be ? should be easy to find on the web.
I stand corrected I somehow missed the foot pegs.

 

[Plug N Play]

https://www.amesfreelibrary.org/ames-shovel-company-chronology

Might be older than you think. Oliver Ames changed the name of company from O. Ames Company to Oliver Ames & Sons Company in 1844.

It doesn't look very old.
On your link ... slide down to 1952.

 

[Joturkey]

There are actually foot pegs, "hard to see in pictures" they are like horizontal spikes on each side of the blade

 

[Joturkey]

Eyemustdigtresure got it right, It's a bark spud.

Thanks, after I googled the spud term it is clear now

 

[Tony in SC]

I know this has been marked solved, but I just saw it. Ames made shovels. The CCC used tools like this to plant trees (saplings) during the Great Depression. The foot pegs are just that, foot pegs.

 

[wainzoid]

I'm not sold on the bark spud or the dibble.