Skip to main content
Bush Hammer
Bush Hammer
Bush Hammer
Bush Hammer

Bush Hammer

Manufacturer
Date1888
Object NameHammer
Mediumsteel and wood
ClassificationsGranite Industry
Copyright© Mike Davidson/Positive Image (2010)
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDMS010439
Keywords
About MeFlat plate steel hammer head on long wooden handle which tapers towards the head.

The head is comprised of a steel rectangle through which the handle passes. On either side, sheets of steel are secured within the head by nuts and bolts. There are four slightly thicker plates on one side, and six narrower ones on the other.
The nuts are numbered sequentially on both sides, and there are additional inscriptions on both sides of the head, including what is presumably the maker's mark "W.H.RIPLEY / W.QUINCY / MASS. / 641 / 1888".

The bush hammer was used in the granite industry. The hammer head is made from a number of individual steel plates. Each plate has a sharp edge. These edges cut the granite. Hammers that had many thin plates could make a smooth finish on granite. If they had only three of four thick plates then a much rougher finish was produced.

The hammers were designed in the United States of America. This example is American - it is stamped with a Massachusetts maker's mark - but Aberdeen blacksmiths later began to produce their own.