froe

[prettygoodword]

froe (FROH) - n., a tool for cleaving wood along the grain that has a heavy blade at right angle to the handle.


Used to split shingles and barrel staves off a log. Rather than swing the tool, the blade is placed and then hit with a mallet or bat, and once inside the wood, you can twist the handle to lever off the shingle:


Thanks, WikiMedia!

In case it's not clear, the sharp edge is facing you, so that the handle sticks up from the dull side. The word is also spelled frow, and the Middle English form was frower, but after that the trail is weak -- it's possibly from froward, which nowadays is an archaism meaning contrary/disobedient, but at the time also meant turned away (so possibly referring to the blade turned from the handle), from Old English fromweard/framweard, turned away, modern form fromward.

---L.

Comments

[loup_noir]

We watched Ruth Goodman's various farm series recently, and that was the first time I'd seen a froe in use.

[prettygoodword]

They are fun to watch. Would make campfire kindling easier to make.