Uncle Ron 1,491 Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Yo All...Well, I was hoping the scream in my Black Widows was going to be another nice nugget, but no...However, the find may be even cooler...Yesterday I was working my newest patch (which seems to be turning out a "One Nugget Patch"), beeping the bench area carefully, when I got a ear splitting scream... :headphones: ...Back up in a bush, next to an old header pile was the awesome hand forged pick...I am convinced that this wash was last worked in the times around when Henry Wickenburg (and/or his assigns) had the Vulture Mine up and running....Nothing but old square nails, and now these two beauties...But, notice the mark on the pick head....a definite "V" which I believe can only have come from the Vulture Mine blacksmith shop...I found the axehead today also in a header pile...I think these tools are from around the 1870's or so...And the guys who swung them didn't leave much gold behind...As I have explored this patch area more, I've learned that they ripped up the top foot or two of bedrock, all by hand, I'm sure...So, it ain't gold, but it's sorta like not gettin' the skunk :icon_mrgreen: ...Cheers, Unc Quote Link to post Share on other sites
diggitdawg 0 Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 maybe not worth its weight in gold but a very cool find indeed. awsome to find a relic wich at that time was probably his state of the art goldfinder. vulture blacksmith was their minelab good job unc. diggitdawg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colorado bob 0 Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Hey Ron, Very nice finds. Awhile back I found one exactly like that one, in a spot between here and the Wick... where I have taken quite a few nuggets from and it was in A-1 condition, except for a bit of rust scale. Good hunting. Bob T. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sawmill 69 Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Nice find on the tools,and it is possible they were property of the Vulture mine at one time. Neither one is hand forged though. The pick has been drawn and re pointed. That is a very common way to sharpen picks ,drills,and bars. Factory made picks and axes from cast steel were common from the 1830's. I bet if you check a little closer under the rust, you will find the makers logo. Can't believe the owners of the Vulture would waste a blacksmiths time building wrought iron picks. He probably had a full time job just keeping them sharp along with all the drills and other stuff. :twocents: At any rate both are neat finds. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GotGold 0 Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 I'd like to add this into the mix of things.....do a Google search on "cleaning finds"! I don't always subscribe to the "cleaning element" aspect of old finds, yet with some items it may be beneficial in finding out origins. Gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dave wiseman 0 Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Ron,Greg,....believe that drifting pick is a later vintage as it has a narrow eyelet.The earlier one's were much heavier with a large round eye.Always nice to find that stuff..........Dave Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Earl 0 Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Uncle Ron Nice pick and ax head. In a hundred years or less some one may find the 1/2 dozen picks that I have lost. :angry-smiley-010: I found several ax heads of that vintage that you have there, up in Walker Az. One of the ax heads was pounded on the back end so much that the hole for the handle was mashed and cracked. Led me to believe it was used as a wedge for busting bedrock. I found it in a trench that was following a vein on the hillside. See if the back end of your ax head has been beat real hard. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sawmill 69 Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Dave The Vulture Mine operated up until 1942 under various owners. That is why I said the tools could belonged to them at one time. Highgrading was a huge problem there,so some of their tools could have walked away too. I agree the pick is a later make,but not that late. You can still buy a new axe like the one in the picture. But they have made the same style forever. Just like now picks were made in several styles and shapes. A lot of the old picks used in the Colorado mines had short heads and straighter with a pointed plate coming back from the eye on each side of the handle. They had a different eye,more like an axe, and were made to twist sideways to finish a break, and pry rocks loose. I have seen the type like you mentioned. Most of those were packed along from the farm,or pilfered from the railroad. Long pick heads are OK in a creek bed,but they suck underground or in hard rock. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mike C... 706 Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 I leave stuff like that behind when I find it--I don't want to lug around old dirty rusty stuff when I'm beepin :tisc-tisc: maybe I left those 2 items there as well :innocent0009: -Mike C... :ph34r2: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Clodhopper 2 Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Gosh, Ron - between the nuggets and the relics seems like you can just take your pick! :rofl2: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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