What is a pick mattock used for?
What is a pick mattock used for?
The pick mattock is a very handy tool that combines the pointed head of a pick, used for digging up hard soil and rock, and an adze, which can be used for cutting through roots. Ransom Williams and his sons probably used the pick mattock to clear the higher ground on their property for farming.
What is the difference between a mattock and a pick?
What is the difference between a pickaxe and a mattock? A mattock has a broad blade on one end of the head and a pick or axe on the other, which makes it good for digging, prying, and chopping. A pickaxe has a pick on one side and a chisel on the other, making it good for prying.
What is a garden pick?
Product Overview. This pick/planter is a great tool for working hard soil in your garden. This mattock-style tiller features a pick on one end and an adze on the other. Ideal for working in confined areas, shallow planting, digging, and cultivating. Pick end for breaking hard soil.
Where did the mattock come from?
According to Sumerian mythology, the mattock was invented by the god Enlil. Mattocks (Greek: μάκελλα) are the most commonly depicted tool in Byzantine manuscripts of Hesiod’s Works and Days. Mattocks made from antlers first appear in the British Isles in the Late Mesolithic.
Should a mattock be sharpened?
To give a really sharp finish to the axe of a mattock head, you should use a sharpening stone. Moving the stone in circular patterns, run it along the edge of the mattock axe.
What are the maintenance of mattock?
Both ends of a mattock should be maintained to keep a reasonably sharp edge; this can be done with either a grinder or a hand file. The adze blade and axe of a mattock should be kept clear of burrs and any severe dents/chips ground or filed out. The adze however should not be kept as sharp as the axe cutting edge.
Why is a mattock called a mattock?
The mattock is a hand tool that is often mistaken for a pickaxe. It is used for digging and chopping. Mattocks are very similar to what is called a Polaski in America. This tool gets its name from Edward Polaski, the forest ranger who developed it in the early 1900’s.
What does a pick look like?
A pickaxe, pick-axe, or pick is a generally T-shaped hand tool used for prying. A standard pickaxe, similar to a “pick mattock”, has a pointed end on one side of its head and a broad flat “axe” blade opposite. A gradual curve characteristically spans the length of the head.