Tools

A Miners Box Head Pick. Made from iron. Size 16″ 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 the coal levels around Argoed Farm, Brynithel. Used all throughout the early 20th century. Over a short period of time the pick blade would …

A Miners Box Head Pick. Made from iron. Size 16″ inches. This pick has a removable blade held in by a metal wedge. These picks were used for undercutting the coal. Size 16″. Used all throughout the early 20th century.

A Miners Pick Head. Made from iron. Size 12″ x 3″ inches. This pick head was for general purpose use and is later in date.

A Miners Pick. Made from iron and wood. Size 17″ x 10″ inches. This little short shafted pick was made by “Universal” and was used all throughout the early 20th century. This pick was found in a mine in Somerset.

Miners Deputy Axe Head. Made from iron. Size 9″ x 2 1/2″ inches. A small notched deputy’s axe head. This axe head is featured in the Hardy Tool Book, item No 2863, described as a “4lb Deputy Axe Head”. 

A Miners Wide Shafted Pick Mandrill. Made from iron and wood. Size 30″ x 16″ inches. This flat bodied pick mandrill is a bottom coal mandrill. The top coal mandrill has a slightly straighter head. Made by “Cornelius Whitehouse” Cannock, it has the Hedgehog Trademark stamped into the blade. Used all throughout the early 20th century.

A Miners Timberman’s Hatchet. Made from iron and wood. Size 22″ x 11″ inches. This hatchet was made by “The Whitehouse Bros Ltd”, Cannock, England.  Used all throughout the early 20th century. This hatchet was used in the coal levels around Argoed Farm, Brynithel.

Miners Timberman’s Hatchet Heads. Made from iron and wood. Sizes – Small head 12″ x 5″ inches. Large head 13″ x 5″ inches. The smaller one is made by “Whitehouse” Y Ty-Gwyn Bwyall. and the larger one has no makers name, though it may be of an inferior quality as the back of the head shows mushrooming and you don’t …

A Miners Hand Chain Saw. Made from iron and brass. Size 45″ x 1″ inches. This saw was used to cut the timbers in awkward inaccessible places that could not be cut with the conventional saws.

A Hand Saw. Made from steel, brass and wood. Size 30″ x 7″ inches. Used in the colliery and levels. The attached image shows miners in a level at Nantyglo, South Wales using one.