Show Us a Tool

[PedalUma]

@spokewrench. I took one head like on the right and squared the face. I removed the backside burrs. I honed it, finishing with buffing compound to strop it like a barber's razor. I then brass wire brushed and buffed it all rust free, smooth, gleaming silver, and painted it black, then added a California framing handle. It was perfect for oak kindling. It could shave hair off the back of your arm. Sometime I will tell of the sheep shearing shed in NZ, the giant tree, and the station owner who almost dislocated his shoulder.

 

[Old-tool-guy]

I did a dumb and amateurish blunder.

Not sure that qualifies as dumb. What were the guide tubes made of? I wouldn't think you could tighten the ties enough to crush the tube.

 

[spokewrench]

It could shave hair off the back of your arm.

Grandfather had a straight razor and a strop. He didn't use the tools in the photo to shave his arms.
Here's another hint. My uncle also had a straight razor and a strop, but he never had mules. About the time Grandfather retired, I saw one of my uncle's Poppin Johnnies set up in a way that obviated tools like the ones pictured.
One more hint. The railroad didn't come to this area until about 1875.

 

[6zfshdb]

Not a tool, but tool adjacent: A smart guy who worked for a cabling vendor I used once advised me that when you open a bag of zip ties, you always make the cut in the center of the bag and perpendicular to the zip ties. This prevents them from falling out.

View attachment 204437

Once opened, I store my zip ties in short pieces of PVC pipe. Easy to organize and convenient to grab when needed.