Croze

Object Name:

Croze

Object ID:

1953.001.06

Creator:

Heald, Addison (1817-1895)

Place of Origin:

Milford, NH

Date:

1873-1906

Description:

Cooper's croze, made by Addison Heald & Son, Milford, NH. Medium-brown, hardwood, brass and alternative wood inlays. Flat, semi-circular shape with concave side and rounded corners. Concave portion is 1.1" deep at center. Separate wood cutting head assembly that conforms to curvature of concave surface. It is about 1" thick, 7.5" long, 1 1/2" wide. It is held to body with two, slightly-recessed, slotted, flathead, steel wood screws. Angled slot in cutting head assembly that that accommodated a blade (missing). Newer machine bolt and washer that partially overlap slot and probably held blade. Portion of wood adjacent to blade slot roughly carved away. Two curved, flat brass guides that have slightly bulbous ends that fit into pockets in head assembly which are held in place by recessed, flathead, steel screws with slotted heads. Brass pieces are about 0.2" thick and have double-chamfered, curved surfaces on cutting blade's side. Brass guides are roughly the same size, but their ends are configured slightly differently. Trailing guide piece has its inner end secured by the large bolt that passes through hole in end and thus probably held blade and guide at same time. On bottom side of body are five, roughly-rectangular, hardwood inserts inlaid next to cutting assembly and along that concave side. Inlays are very dark brown, hardwood and appear to have end grain exposed. Far left and right pieces are about same size, but right-hand piece has different small inlay section to make it a matching size. The other three inlay pieces are different sizes but are approximately rectangular. Definite wear patterns in surfaces of inlays and slightly deeper wear patterns at extreme ends of main body. Lower vertical surface of cutting head assembly curved but does not have much wear because surface is somewhat irregular and broadly rough. On inside curve of main body are three, roughly 1/2" diameter pieces of unknown material that seem to be covering something. Slight bright metallic reflection in a scratch in right-hand circle.
Marks on outer ends of main body. End stamp right side, rectangular block stamp, serrated edges: "HEALD & SON". Below is another stamp, serrated edges: "MILFORD. [N] H". On left-hand end are rectangular stamps with serrated edges: "A. HEALD & SO[N]". Below that is another rectangular stamp, serrated edges: "MILFORD [NH]". On bottom surface of cutting assembly near left side is stamp "1[6]" which are adjacent to cut-off screw head.

Material:

Wood
Brass

Dimensions:

H-3 L-12.8 D-6.4 inches

Provenance:

Found by the donor in the attic of the Stratton Company flour mill, Penacook, NH, in 1953, when the mill closed. The mill, eventually owned by the Stratton Company, was built in 1857. They also had a large barrel factory. By 1900, it was the largest flour mill in New England. The donor was vice-president of the company.

Credit Line:

Gift of Donald J. McFarland

People:

Heald, Addison (1817-1895)