Out Of The Blue Artifacts A Library of a lifetime of collecting
A Miners Box Head Pick.
Made from iron and wood. Size 32″ x 12″ inches.
This pick has a removable blade held in by a metal wedge. These picks were used for undercutting the coal. This pick was used in and taken from Cwmtillery Colliery, Abertillery, Gwent in the late 1970’s. The tool bar hole is 23″ from its head. Used all throughout the early 20th century.
Over a short period of time the pick blade would become blunt and would need to be sharpened or re-shaped by the blacksmith. Rather than take the whole pick up the pit the miner would dismantle the pick head, leave the box and handle on the tool bar underground and take just the blade up to the surface.