Period shovel research

[Edwin Carl Erwin]

Interested in researching shovels for your Pioneer impression? A good place to start is Stonehill College Industrial History Center-Archives & Special Collections which houses the Ames Shovel Collection. This group consists of 755 antique shovels and 1000 related objects dating from 1774 to the present. Possibly the largest collection of shovels in the world. See a sample of pictures at: www.stonehill.edu/sihc/Pictures/shovels.htm.
This is the mother lode of shovels available for research, so dig in.

[WoodenNutmeg]

Re: Period shovel research

Thank you for posting this...it is a very valuable link.

[64OVI]

Re: Period shovel research

Anyone done any research as to what type(s) of shovels the Federal Army bought during the war and who they contracted to make them?

Kent Dorr
"Devils Own Mess"

[RJSamp]

Re: Period shovel research

There was a thread on Szabo's forum circa 2000 that discussed this at length. AMES was a major major contractor for D Ring handled shovels.....originals are in the museum cited in the opening of this thread (also in the lobby of Ames headquarters itself). I contacted Ames about possibly making x,000 and they weren't interested.....auctions, antiques, and scrounging around old barns were cited as the best sources for extent originals. Ames turns out to be a 'friend' of Lincoln.....am sure 'politics', contributions, and contracts let played a major part in this 'friendship'....

Like the M-1, entrenching tool, Jeep, deuce and a half truck, and Higgins landing craft in WWII, Ames shovels were one of the major weapons in the American Civil War.....

Wood handles, iron blades (not steel).

[mobluegraysoldier]

Re: Period shovel research

The Camp Chase Gazette ran a series of articles in the recent past on tools/implements used by the US military during the CW. It had both the written specs, dates of manufacture, list of manufacturers, and drawings of the tools. Some of the tools look very much like what can be procured today, and modified to look like the originals with minimumal effort.

Kevin Baker; aka, mobluegraysoldier

[Uncle Pig]

Re: Period shovel research

If you go to this link and scroll down they have some reproduction shovel heads.

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/avalonforge/MainTools.htm

[FlatLandFed]

Re: Period shovel research

Thanx for the input -- I'm going to a "Cabin Fever" antique show this weekend and will be looking for this type of shovel. Never know what you might find -- I paid $20 for a G.A.R. "3rd battalion" membership pin that I now find out is worth much, much more.
Paul
Can You Dig It Platoon

[crabby]

Re: Period shovel research

Paul,

You will find the average price about $35.00 to $55.00 at most anique sales/shops. Occaisionally you can get a great deal. (I had gotten one for $5.00 and another for $4.00) If it is a weekend deal the best time for deals is on Sunday - they don't want to take any more stock home than the have too!

Crabby

[Amtmann]

Re: Period shovel research

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1089

1865 Russel and Erwin catalog. Not sure if contractor shovels would be any different.

[lukegilly13]

Re: Period shovel research

My understanding is that there was an iron ring used to hold the shovel head to the handle. Looking on Jim Mayo's website, he notes that there was an iron ring found on the D-handle to one of the shovels. Does anyone now how this ring was attached? Did it have a rivet through it similar to modern handles or was it just really tight and probably hammered down over the top of the shovel head?

[Jimmayo]

Re: Period shovel research

Luke: The iron ring was attached to the wood handle on the artillery shovel to hold it in place during movement. I don't know how it was attached but based on other general period methods I would suspect it had some sort of clamp holding it on.