Pickaxe dimensions

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

Yes Hanno. The British style has a steel wrap that the pick head sits on. The handles you show would be U.S style.
There is a British miners pick in the same style, but it is substantially smaller. It is about half way between the Vehicle one and the infantry one that has the webb cover and the mine thingy on some handles. I'm not very knowledgeable on them either.

That's probably the "Mattock, Telegraph", which has a pick and horizontal blade head and a steel wedge on the tip of the helve (presumably to aid in burying cables, as it wouldn't last long if used as a prybar).

I have an unissued one in the hoard, er: collection, but the helve was supplied 'unfinished' and won't go through the hole in the mattock head - I need to take a spokeshave to it, I suppose.

Chris.