55/40

This is a heading axe, as indicated by the concave blade, and would be used by a cooper for the initial shaping of the head of a cask. The head sits loosely on the handle and has been held in place with some fabric. The axe was probably made in the 1950s and was used at the cooper's shop at H. & G. Simonds Ltd., known as the Bridge Street Brewery, in Reading.

1 cooper's axe: wood; metal

Visiting researcher note, Marshall Scheetz (cooper), 23 August – The concave blade indicates that this is a heading axe, rather than a broad axe., MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'This broad axe with a blade 11.25 inches wide and a handle 10.25 inches long was used at Messrs Simonds’ Cooper's Shop, Reading. The blade is set at a slight angle to the handle thus facilitating the downward chopping of the staves. // It is used by the cooper for two distinct operations – // (1) For splitting the staves, and shaping them ready for bevelling on the jointer plane. The stave is placed on the splitting out block. // (2) For the first shaping of the head. The various staves forming the heads are dowelled together and roughly shaped. The head is rested on the splitting block, being supported with the left hand and the craftsman's body. The side of the head is then shaped with the axe head well up the shaft with the right hand.', MERL 'Catalogue index' card – [Coopering – General Card, 55/37–55/56 and 55/66–55/68] – 'This set of Cooper's tools came to the Museum from the Cooper's Department, Messrs H & G Simonds The Brewery, Reading. Although the majority of the tools are modern, indeed some of them were never used, the tools are nevertheless the same as have been used for centuries by both urban and rural coopers.'

1950 - 1955

Wood, Metal