All About Pocket Knives

Picked this up some time ago and couldn't find anything on it..thought I'd try again!
Thanks!

Boy, that's a rough one, I'm getting nothing also. Is the first letter a P. Looks like P Mayer MKR.

Yep, I pulled it out and sure looks like "P" Mayer. Old and seemingly frail, but nice steel. If it was homemade, he knew his work!

I don't know anything about the maker but I'd like to see the hatchet in full view.
I like old tools. Show us the hatchet.

And ya didn't even hafta say please!

I believe this thin, light pattern is called a 'lath hatchet'. For splitting and hammering on the lath before plastering. But I'm no expert.

I should have shown better form in my post.
Thank you for showing the hatchet anyway.

It sure is little but it has a beautifully made head in my opinion.
I think you have a real treasure there.

I see Froe has responded and I think he has a good description of the hatchet.
Early lath came in thin wide slabs and it was applied by tacking the top and splitting down an inch or so and pulling that and tacking that and splitting the opposite side and pulling that and tacking that and so on. A small hatchet like this one would have been used.

Thanks! A neat historical piece, maybe....

Couple of thoughts.....Why the long poll? The head has no serrations. No nail pulling notch.
These may be insignificant, but don't most other lath hatchet/hammers differ from this one?





"I think Congressmen should wear uniforms,you know, like NASCAR drivers, so we could
identify their corporate sponsors."

Well, as to your questions, I cannot give you definite reasons because I don't really know the answers and I know you are not asking me specificly, however, I do have an opinion on what I think are good reasons assuming this is a lath hammer.
As to the long poll; it offered you some reach. It gave you some definition as to where the face would impact. Also, it gave you reach in what might be a tight work place. Using a hammer is a acquired skill and all hammers are different. It is not unusual at all to find long polls on small early hammers.
As to the crosshatch on the face, it simply isn't necessary. The cross hatch was used on larger framing hammers to keep the face of the hammer from slipping off the nail and to identify greenhorns who used them for trim work as they were not at all willing to buy a second hammer for more refined work because that would put too large of a dent in the budwizer budget. A clean hammer face will go a long way in preventing slippage. Perhaps a bit of sandpaper.
I'll go out on a limb here and call the nail notch in a lath hammer a gimmick and a handle sellers dream come true.
Real tradesmen overcame lots of obstacles with their tools or reached for other tools.
And real tradesmen had lots of tools and knew how to use every one of them.
Yes, the tools do differ but that doesn't mean they got better. Just a lot more expensive.
And then came chinese trash that I can't discuss here.
Here is a picture of early small hammers.
Also a picture of a Poloroid picture I took of split lath in my old house.

Thans for sharing Joe. Guess thats true in a lot of specialized trades back in the day. BTW, the notch I was referring to would be under the blade, for removal of nails. If i were a collector, your stuff would sure be interesting. Now that I'm able to post, maybe I'll see if there is any interest in it.
Thanks again for your time and knowledge.

former173rd wrote: BTW, the notch I was referring to would be under the blade, for removal of nails.

Yes, there is one on my old Hibbard. Although not a very good one.

You're welcome. Others may have a more accurate point of view.

I'm certainly no expert, but it's been my impression that the nail pulling notch is more commonly found on shingle hatchets. Used for splitting, fitting and nailing wood shingles.

Ken

Thats my impression also...guess it doens't mean its not a lath hammer though. It's really nothing special i suppose, except if it is a little different. just can't get over the maker Logo! One proud maker!

We called the one in FRJs last pic a framing axe. It has a flat profile across the top so you can swing it in tight overhead spaces.
Bruce

ADDED Note:
The blade is very slightly canted .. don't know if the pictures show it.

Froe wrote:I believe this thin, light pattern is called a 'lath hatchet'. For splitting and hammering on the lath before plastering. But I'm no expert.

I think you got it. I have a small hatchet that the blade comes out rectangular all the way. Not as long of a poll, but it is cross hatched. I couldn't find anything on it. One day a friend came over and said, "nice drywall hatchet". Did a search and that's what came up. Mine is different enough that I didn't think they were the same, use wise, till you pointed it out. Good eye, Joe.