New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

The first of two tools which are actual goldfield artifacts is the least interesting in some respects as it is pretty ordinary in shape - but it is an original 'oldie' - it was uncovered after heavy flooding on my property so was not only buried but it was also preserved.
The only thing I do not know is if it dates to early miners prior to 1900 or to Depression miners though I do suspect that it is an early one but well preserved. I also found the shovel close to this spade, plus the remains of Chinese artifacts washed out of the bank and this further indicates that it might be early.

The brand is 'NEVERBEND' No.3 - made by Spear and Jackson, a company which came into being in 1830 though it did have its beginnings long prior to that date. The name is still known today but now owned I believe by Neil Tools...Neils Tools renamed itself Spear and Jackson as that name had a reputation for good products.

The construction of this old time miners spade is such that I would have no problems rehandling it and using it and I am quite sure that regardless of the number of years it was buried it would still be stronger than many tools today.

I would not be surprised if the blade is wrought iron as it has not rusted like most iron items do in the type of soil it came from - I noted many,many years ago that wrought iron seemed to preserve in remarkably good condition whereas other forms of iron, and especially caste iron more or less rusted to pieces.'


An interesting observation is the fact that the blade could be termed 'composite' - as the photos show a bulge where the handle attaches - this bulge is hollow so that the handle actually went right down into the actual blade of the spade and along the shoulder of the spade lie foot ledges which must have been inserted by a Blacksmith at the factory as they appear to be forge welded into place - today as strong as ever.

Where the handle goes into the composite blade it has wooden 'outriggers' on either side to fill in the wedge shaped gap in the two blade halves and this feature can be seen in photographs three and four.

As for the handle it did begin to fall apart as it dried out so I drowned it in Linseed Oil - great stuff!

They sure made them well in those days and it is far superior to many spades available today.

Edited by user Friday, 27 January 2012 11:25:26 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

You just keep your grandfathers carpentry tools - they are good things to have - there were around 200 different moulding plains alone and an entire collection of them would be great to have - they were made out of top quality woods - amongst the best were those made by Mathieson of Glasgow. Some of the old companies who made them are still around, or at least the name is still around - Stanley being a noted one, Spear and Jackson as noted above and Starrett though Starrett now belongs to Stanley. Marples was another good quality brand which is still available today - the name is still respected 170 years after first going into business.

I have my grandfather carpentry tools as well and still use them now and again, especially a number 45 Stanley Plough set patented in 1901 and a level marked 'Cookes Patent level Patent Dec 7th 1886 - good tools and made to last.

Hoarding is a disease - let me assure you - your just a liability to your family so I suggest that you donate everything to a worthwhile cause...no need for both of us to be liabilities! - to be taken as a joke - if you knew me you would understand. I am one of those people who never say no when offered anything...I accept it then ponder the problems afterward - I have a great big bofors gun barrel coming shortly - no where to put it but it will get put somewhere...I also tried to buy a 4.5 inch ships gun the other day as well - no where to put it but I would have put it somewhere...I got a 20mm Oerlikon Anti Aircraft gun given to me - no where to put it so it currently lives in the bedroom...though I am a bit worried about it as everytime I make overtures to my wife about nefarious bedroom activities she sort of looks at the gun barrel.

Seriously though I have the same problem with storage and have though of buying a couple of containers - maybe that is what you need to put your stuff in while the piles are being put in place?

I like bulk lots as well - I ended up with the entire selection of tools and so on of the old chap who I so often mention on this forum with whom I used to go goldmining - he used to own a garage - it was one of the first two garages in Dunedin apparently - he became an apprentice to it when it was owned by McCullochs long and took it over prior to WWII - I have even got his gas welding gear (Oxygen bottle 1935) his Blackhawk Porto-power and its original factory table (about 1937)...I have a house lot of roofing iron - only four years old, bricks in stacks, tiles, 4x2 Rimu lengths and long defunct lawnmowers - bottles, tins, containers and who knows what of bolts, nuts, fittings, pipes, etc and etc. Bank tellers safes full of tools and gear and goodness knows what.

and Gold mining gear...we cant forget that.

Good luck with the moving and storing of your gear - you will get there - some problems do seem insurmountable but they get done all the same. Good luck.

Edited by user Friday, 27 January 2012 3:10:14 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Much better shitting round ones than square ones though.

If Puckle invented a 'machine gun' - which he did which had two magazines, one with round chambers to shoot round bullets to kill Christians and one with square chambers to kill 'Infidel Turks' then one might safely assume that Christians shit round ones and infidels shit square ones -

Puckle demonstrated two versions of the basic design: one, intended for use against Christian enemies, fired conventional round bullets, while the second variant, designed to be used against the Muslim Turks, fired square bullets. The square bullets were invented in part by Kyle Tunis and were considered to be more damaging. They would, according to the patent, convince the Turks of the "benefits of Christian civilization." The square bullets, however, were discontinued due to their unpredictable flight pattern.[2]

Yes you sure do and did you also notice that the slick buggers at wikipedia copied me word for word!!!

Hi there Lammerlaw. Isnt that navy colt a wonderful piece. They just look so amazing. Shame about the museum gun, that must hurt. Keep up the cool posts there most enjoyable.

Shane

Out of several hundred old guns I own the Colt Navy is my favourite - they always were - I know of the existence of another one with a gold fields pedigree having been kept in the office of one of the large Central Otago claims back in the days of old. Great guns the Navy Colts - I guess if I had been around in those days one of them would have been my weapon of choice even though they were not as robust as the Adams and Tranters.

Hope the weather up your way is better than down here and hope your finding heaps of goodies...I also have a soft spot for the silver coins found with metal detectors so enjoy seeing what you guys get...with a twinge of envy I might add!

The 1911 date is not the actual date of the rifle but rather the last patent date - If it has an Octagon Barrel then it is a Model 1890 and if a round barrel a Model 1906. The Model designation is on the tang and either written as 1890 or 90 or 1906 or 06. If you give me the model and the serial number I will be able tot ell you what year it was made.

Model 1890 rifles were only chamber for .22 Short or .22 Long or .22 WRF and then in 1919 they were also chambered for .22 Long Rifle.

At this stage dont worry about posting photos but if it has most of the original finish you never know - I might go gaa gaa over it!