A neighbor of mine who, is aware of my firewood gathering affliction, bought me a pickaroon at a garage sale for a few dollars. I am having a hard time deciding whether it is home made or not. It certainly is designed right. The bill and hook at the end are spot on for reaching and grabbing. The steel hook appears to be quite hard and the extension on the head, to resist flexing, is well done. Welding is very sound but lacking finish. The head and part of the handle are painted in a way that I doubt a home builder would bother with. Could go either way I guess. It is well balanced, light and fast becoming a first grab (I now have three). Anyone out there seen a similar one?
I was looking at this myself and although it does look well made it also looks like it could be homemade. Where the weld is and the finish is what makes me think that. For a few dollars and if works good then it really does not matter. Good deal.
wanna sell it? I have my cheesy homemade one from a reclaimed Fiskars handle and a carriage bolt sharpened to a point. Works okay, but would like to have a nicer one.
I like it! I have an old axe handle laying around with the same future ahead of it. I really like homemade stuff. Has soul.
Brad that actually wouldn't be too bad if you put a 30 bend in it. Get red hot to bend and then heat treat at the same time. I made a long handled one with a hookaroon and pointed end to help with unloading the truck.
I dont use my Fiskars Hookaroon all that often, but when I do it works great. Super light and sticks into the wood very easily.
I have one that Pallet Pete gifted me years back. I use it all the time. It's even handy at the splitter to pull stuff closer. Gonna make a second one I think.
I need to make one of these. I also think the OP's pickaroon is home made, but by a man who really cares about his work.
I’ve got an old axe head somewhere I was going to cut up and make a half length handle version just a little shorter something like a 2’ length. Food for thought.
I think OPs hookaroon was made by a company. I've seen a few like them but don't recall the manufacturer. They are not forged but welded from 3 parts. Welding puts it after WW2, my guess is late 50s up to mid 70s. The eye always looked like it was formed from a piece of round steel tube.
The pickaroon has a worn label on the handle that I finally deciphered. It says Smith Indian Fire and has an Indian chief head with a war bonnet on it. Smith IF apparently has made backpack pumps and some firefighting/forestry tools in the past. I cannot find much on this company other than pumps but it is no stretch to believe that they made axes, pickaroons polaskis and such.