Tool, what is it ?

[Don McCombs]

Interesting trivia...

The white oak saplings that were harvested for barrel hoops, were cut to length and called hoop poles. The tool in question was apparently used to split the poles, creating the hoop material. Our house is adjacent to Hoop Pole Ridge and Hoop Pole Run, most of which is now flooded by Deep Creek Lake. See map...

[Urbish]

This is from the Nov 2018 issue of Farm Collector magazine, don't know if it's a correct identification.

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Great find! I wonder how often one would end up ramming the freshly split ends into their hand or forearm using one of these?

[Yogie]

This is from the Nov 2018 issue of Farm Collector magazine, don't know if it's a correct identification.

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Great find! I wonder how often one would end up ramming the freshly split ends into their hand or forearm using one of these?

I agree, I just can't see how you would use this without busting knuckles. Would you drive the other end of the wood into the hard floor for it to split while holding this tool on the other end ? Door Stop ! No, I could see my toes split wide open some night in the dark.

[Eugene]

Froe. For splitting strips of wood.

Check out how a froe is used for splitting wood. Since the cleave is used for splitting saplings for barrel hoops, should work quite well.