Found on the Beach at Normandy…Not Really.

[mikie]

This shovel just looks like it could have been laying there since 1944. I found this rusty mess at a random estate  sale I spotted today. Nothing else interesting. It’s a Charlie Brown Christmas tree kind of thing. I felt so sorry for it I had to take it home. The lady felt so sorry for it she refused to let me pay for it. She told me to come back next week since they haven’t gotten to the stuff in the attic yet. Gentle rubbing shows it is a 1944 Wood. I’m trying to decide what to do with it. Some gentle cleaning of the rust probably won’t hurt. What would you do with one like this? 
Mikie
 

[sundance]

I'd treasure it. Not for what you know it did but for what it might have done (and seen). With that piece of wire on it I suppose it saw some post war use.

[mikie]

It was in the back of a pile of garden tools. All were civilian and not anything good or what I need. The only part of it visible was the locking ring. I had Just come from getting skunked at the monthly flea market so rusty or not, it was gold to me. It's a mess, but a beautiful mess. Almost did a cartwheel when I made out the 1944 date.

Mikie

[General Apathy]

11 hours ago, mikie said:

This shovel just looks like it could have been laying there since 1944. I found this rusty mess at a random estate  sale I spotted today. Nothing else interesting. It’s a Charlie Brown Christmas tree kind of thing. I felt so sorry for it I had to take it home. The lady felt so sorry for it she refused to let me pay for it. She told me to come back next week since they haven’t gotten to the stuff in the attic yet. Gentle rubbing shows it is a 1944 Wood. I’m trying to decide what to do with it. Some gentle cleaning of the rust probably won’t hurt. What would you do with one like this? 
Mikie
 

.

Hi Mikie,

 

nice find just as it is, no matter what you did you would never put it back to looking factory finish.

 

How many collectors have an item and have said ' If I just . . . . . .  oops broken it ',  Brass items and brass shell cases when people believe that polishing it will make it look newer / fresher and all it does is destroy the patina and heritage of the item.  

 

As long as you can see the date  ( as you can ) then that's what puts it into a category of what collectors are looking for, not everyone wants pristine.

 

cheers ken   

[mikie]

Ha Ken, this thing will never see pristine again. I'm just going to take off the heavy rust and stabilize the metal. The handle is rough but quite solid. I'll leave it alone. It will make a handy tool for the garden or the trunk of my car. 

 

Mikie