Any antique barrel experts?

[ebinmaine 67,408]

My mom gave us this little barrel yesterday. 

She knows it's been passed down through her mom's family least 4 or 5 generations including myself.  

 

Trina found a similar listing online indicating it could have been filled with nails or similar,  gross weight around 100 lbs.  

 

 

It measures  18" high, 10" across.  

 

 

 

 

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,040]

Have a few with the nails still in them.

Have seen them containing chain also.

[formariz 11,987]

A branch of people in my family were coopers. Although they all could make any type of barrels, some were specialized in your type of barrel. It’s called dry cooperage. They are barrels essentially made as storage or transportation vessels. They are not liquid or airtight.  Then the next type would be airtight to store flour, cereals or anything that had to be kept from moisture. The other type more common to us are the actual wine barrels most are familiar with. 

[ebinmaine 67,408]

5 hours ago, formariz said:

A branch of people in my family were coopers. Although they all could make any type of barrels, some were specialized in your type of barrel. It’s called dry cooperage. They are barrels essentially made as storage or transportation vessels. 

 

Thanks Caz. That confirms what Trina found as well.  

 

Any way to narrow down a date range?

 

Judging by what my mom said we're pretty sure it would be prior to 1900 but not sure by how much. 

 

 

[ebinmaine 67,408]

 

 

[Pullstart 62,834]

I ❤️ a good barrel!

 

 

[formariz 11,987]

7 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

Any way to narrow down a date range?

I know that they were still used here in the 40’s. Based on the appearance of yours I would say it is from that period . Early ones from earlier than 1900 seem to have a wooden hoop rather than a metal one. Certainly that one is pretty much all machine made. Earlier ones that were machine made had also two full  metal hoops in the center rather than the twisted wire. 
  The best way to date them would be if it still had original nails in them. Characteristics of the nails and how they are manufactured is a rather precise way of dating anything since there is a very precise chronological record of nail Manafacturing.

[formariz 11,987]

2 hours ago, Pullstart said:

 

I ❤️ a good barrel!

 

 Me too. Today we look at a barrel in a sort of casual manner, most not realizing the amount of knowledge and skill that small object represents. Not too many wood objects require the vast skill a barrel does. In only one object there is knowledge of wood types, and their specific properties, knowledge of bending wood, knowledge of geometry, knowledge of determining volumes and or capacities using only ancient methods, knowledge of specific hand tool methods, etc. a cooper can make a barrel from scratch without ever using a ruler or calculator and intentionally wind up with a finished product with an incredibly precise volume. He can do that fast and efficiently without referencing any drawings or sketches. Merely using methods that have been used for thousands of years. In handmade cooperage nothing as changed in all of that time since there is no improvement to be made. It’s flawless. Tools have improved but the method remains the same. Watching a skilled cooper at work is a sight to behold that one will never forget specially when one is used to watching any other type of woodworker using measuring devices, machines, drawings, and even a common tool such as a square and a straight edge. None of that in cooperage. Just a thousand years worth of knowledge and skill and efficiency. No other branch of woodworking has impressed me as much as cooperage. 
 

Edited February 26 by formariz

[Lee1977 6,656]

That's a keg, Pullstart showed a barrel.

[Handy Don 12,210]

1 hour ago, formariz said:

No other branch of woodworking has impressed me as much as cooperage

Watching a cooper work at Colonial Williamsburg, VA was a complete treat. Even as he explained what he was doing to the guests, he managed to complete a barrel every day!