Croze

Object Name:

Croze

Object ID:

1953.001.07

Date:

1875-1900

Description:

Croze (for plowing out the channel/groove for barrel heads). Medium-to-dark-brown, hardwood with some grain flecks showing on top surface. It is roughly semi-circular with concave interior edge and truncated outer ends. Body width at center 5". Body width at either end about 2.5" Secondary curved fence piece on bottom surface, about 7" long, 1.9" wide, 0.8" thick. Fence piece/blade holder on bottom has iron plate on its bottom surface. Screwed in plate with two slotted flathead fasteners. Plate beveled so that is slightly sharp. Plate about 0.05" thick and has relieved area in center that is irregularly shaped but should accommodate missing cutting blade. Rectangular-headed clamp that passes through steel plate on bottom and has threaded shaft that extends upward through body and passes through to top of tool. At top end of fastening rod are two washers, a hex-nut spacer, and small wingnut, all of which are ferrous. On top of tool is a shadow on inside curved surface with two small holes on either side of fastening assembly. Adjacent to shadow marks is an approximately 0.5" wide wear groove that extends from one end to the other end. Groove varies in depth slightly. If curved fence mechanism removed from its present location and turned over, it will fit into shadow mark on other side. On present bottom surface is slight wear groove from one end to the other. Slight wear groove on inside surface of wooden fence adjacent to knife-cutting position.

Material:

Wood
Metal

Dimensions:

H-2.8 W-6.7 L-14.7 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