Reamer

Object Name:

Reamer

Object ID:

1953.001.12

Date:

1875-1900

Description:

Bung reamer. Steel with wooden handle. Gimlet-like tool with flanged blades. Dark brown handle of fine-grained hardwood. It has symmetrical bulbous center section that tapers to straight cylinder at either end. End of handle 0.8" diameter. Center area 1.4" diameter. Tang from blade seems to be peened over on outside surface of handle but it is somewhat flush. Pair of faint decorative lines around handle at central point. Rectangular iron shank extends straight 2" then swells and tapers into a long tapered trough-like cutter with gimlet point on its end. Outside surface of tapered cutting blade quite smooth and flat, but has a few longitudinal fissures in surface. Cutting edge not sharp, somewhat rounded over. Inside surface of cutting blade smooth but has many small pits in it. Width of cutting surface at front: 0.35"; at back 1.45". Length of cutting surface: 5.5". Small paper label glued to shank near handle. Typed date: 2 / 11 / 53. Below that in pencil: "[12]".

Material:

Metal
Wood
Steel

Dimensions:

W-5.3 L-10 D-1.4 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