Help ID metal bar tool - possible old railway use ??

[davej.]

Hi ,as title says . I posted this in the metalworking section but have had no replies.
Just picked this up but am struggling to ID it,
3kg , 16" long overall , taped handle part is nearly 7" , it doesn't taper.
1" thick where it widens to just over 2 1/2"
It's been suggested that it may have been used to fix old railway track , wedged with a wood block ??
It looks old ! I told the grandkids it's a "knocking stick"
I can't find anything similar by image search .
Thanks in advance

 

[Sandyn]

Blacksmiths made one off special tools all the time, so it could be something like that, but no idea what it might have been for, perhaps work in progress and the wide part was going to have a hole broached in it. Could be one half of a pretty strange pair of pliers, but not completed. Perhaps a spoke for a wheel. The 1" section suggests a tool for the hardy hole, but it wouldn't work well with a taper. Is the nearest surface concave? perhaps a former to round things off, but you would see the striking surface. Perhaps an alignment tool for marking out land one of a set of three? a peg for securing things to the ground, the thicker section stops the rope coming off the end? a broach tool? a gate railing? a gear lever......no idea, but would be interesting to find out. It's amazing how much time you can happily spend trying to find out something which is a pretty useless bit of information.

 

[Sandyn]

Could be for something like this?

 

[Cabinetman]

Could be for something like this?


View attachment 122646

But just what on Earth is that? Wouldn’t like to be on the wrong end of it!

 

[Sandyn]

It's an armorer's hammer for making/repairing armor. I don't think the OP's mystery object is for that but looks vaguely similar.

 

[jcassidy]

I'd guess it's a punch, missing the handle which should be wrapped around the fat part.

 

[davej.]

Sorry fo delay - and Thanks for all of your replies .
The surface in pic where it widens doesn't seem really hollowed/concave - more the edges at widest are "riveted" over.
However the opp. face does seem noticeably concave - added pic.
No signs of any impact at the taped end.
The armourer's hammer seems a bit "sophisticated" compared to this "blunt instrument" !

 

[toolsntat]

Now you have shown that it has a dimple on the other side I'll say it resembles a tool I have for driving in the stakes of wooden sheep hurdles.

Some differences or alterations from mine though.
Mine has a pointed end for starting the holes and yours is a stub end.
Mine is somewhat longer at approximately 3ft. Has the end under the tape been sawn off?
I'll try and find mine for reference.
Edit to say mine is called a"fold bar"
https://images.app.goo.gl/4uEQAjqq4Sk8DPweACheers Andy

 

[davej.]

Andy , I feel you are on the right track !
The end I ignored may well help out now.
Not sawn but it looks broken off/snapped .
The dimpled in side isn't that obvious - another pic.
I'm in Hull, a city founded by monks to export their sheep a thousand years ago !
There are a few "pinfold" lanes in nearby villages

 

[toolsntat]

Ah, yes but wait a minute.
Looking closer at the way the 2 outside edges of the bump have been hit and it's size, without obvious shortening of the pointed end, I'm going to plumb for the clapper of a bell without the fastening part at the top end.
Cheers Andy

 

[davej.]

Andy , I feel you are on the right track - Again .
However I'm not finding any online images of such a primitive style of clapper .
That said , I couldn't find an image of a fold bar either .

 

[Bod]

Andy , I feel you are on the right track !
The end I ignored may well help out now.
Not sawn but it looks broken off/snapped .
The dimpled in side isn't that obvious - another pic.
I'm in Hull, a city founded by monks to export their sheep a thousand years ago !
There are a few "pinfold" lanes in nearby villages

Going by the photos, of both ends, the bulging end is a simple blacksmithing task to create, the other end is clearly broken.
My idea is that its a broken remains of an industrial needle, or a material handling tine.
The bulged end retains the tine in a holder, the missing end does the work.

Bod

 

[davej.]

" The bulged end retains the tine in a holder, the missing end does the work. " -another very plausible suggestion .
The wider retained end may well have become " riveted " over due to the loads from the needle/tine end being driven.
Thanks again for all replies .
The taped "handle" part most likely had a missing bit , without which ID will difficult, if possible at all.
Regards dave j