French Roofer's Hammer/Shingling Hatchet

As mentioned previously, Dave grew up in and around the roofing industry. Read the American Hammer listing for background. Interesting, but is it worth repeating here? Nah!

Sufficed to say, Dave has a certain affinity and healthy respect for Shingling Hatchets. Tools from an era of wood roofs, splitting shakes and shingles to size while laying up a roof, much like the slater's hammers from the centuries before. 

So, when dumb luck struck and Dave stumbled across this French version, in an antique store in Portugal of all places, love was in the air!

Appearing to be a mid-century piece, but possibly a bit earlier due to the faceted hammer, this piece was constructed as a casting in Paris marked and serial numbered-Serial 21077 & Marked P. Morin as the manufacture. We would venture to say that the market demographic for this piece wasn't just tradesmen, but also fire fighters of that time, being a bit small for a "crash axe" but never the less, useful.

Marked on the reverse "modele depose" or deposited model, denoting its cast construction, it was also Heritage logo'd on the poll now being welcome into the collection. It was in pretty good shape upon reciept, but it was still wire stripped and while he was at it, Dave refaced and squared the hexagonal hammer head. 

13.5" white ash handle hand fabricated for this piece in Quebec by Trinity Boletus. Leather hand tooled snap sheath also made at that time. Upon return to the KA shop, Dave paint-detailed the handle in a 50/50 black scheme with "Kingdom" imaged in the negative. Such a cool Heritage piece! Get your Parisian on and bang on some stuff.