Early mole trap, type, in use

[lifelong cumbrian 1,795]

37 minutes ago, OldPhil said:

Some people are so fecking clever

Thanks Phil but im no brain box, im thick as shit, just practical.

[earth-thrower 490]

This is a Bob Merrin, original,..note the mumble,...remember Bob referring to it, as a "roundy peg",..hand carved, that trigger, out of yew, too ! & photo below, is a machine turned one, made out of Ash, with the more familiar, hazel forked trigger.

[OldPhil 5,395]

You are enjoying yourself

[earth-thrower 490]

1 hour ago, OldPhil said:

You are enjoying yourself

Ha ha ha,....Phil, a think it's cause a only ever seen pictures, diagrams, etc of old wood full barrels & half barrels, etc, in old books, or wherever,...NEVER actually thought as a mole catcher, a would ever get the chance to have one, never mind try & use one to catch with ?,...until I heard about Bob Merrin.  (you'll probably understand, being a moleman, yourself ? Iol)

Edited June 18, 2021 by earth-thrower

[earth-thrower 490]

1 hour ago, OldPhil said:

You are enjoying yourself

On the subject, Phil, Would you recall, oh,...got to be 30 year ago, now,....it would have been the  'Shooting News' (at the time),..an article (maybe 1990 ?),...& it was i think two Welsh fellas,..trapping moles, & they made their own wooden half barrel ?,....that helped to 'spark my interest' initially,......then I finally got round too trying to catch them , couple or so , year after.

[OldPhil 5,395]

Yes, that was Tony P

The wee paper pamphlet he sent out, was simply a few bits of A5 stapled together,.I think he earned a few bob from that wee project,...and bloody good luck to him I never took much notice of the construction of the wooden half barrel mole trap,..I can barely put air in a car tyre, and I have no practical ability whatsoever, so it meant nothing to me.

 I am pleased to see my fellow trappers making their own tools,...it must be nice to have such skills..

[Ken's Deputy 4,456]

  My fukking back hurts! I knew it would

Think my heart hurts more though. Because I see I gave one of the best mole traps to a false friend.

  Anyway, here's the page from a 1952 S. Young & Sons (Misterton) catalogue.

Top right? That's their " Perfection ". I have one sitting behind me. I'll photograph it, in a minute.

Top, centre; " Anglo Impassable ". Saw that in one of my chests. Surprised to see I still have that one!

Bottom left? " The Enterprise ". And, I'm absolutely gutted to say; I gave it away. Along with thousands of pounds worth of gear, to a kunt who promptly ghosted me, and blamed it on his being busy with his bees.

 

 

  Yeah. Here's the 'Perfection':

[earth-thrower 490]

40 minutes ago, OldPhil said:

Yes, that was Tony P

The wee paper pamphlet he sent out, was simply a few bits of A5 stapled together,.I think he earned a few bob from that wee project,...and bloody good luck to him I never took much notice of the construction of the wooden half barrel mole trap,..I can barely put air in a car tyre, and I have no practical ability whatsoever, so it meant nothing to me.

 I am pleased to see my fellow trappers making their own tools,...it must be nice to have such skills..

I was exactly the same !  Iol,..far too daunting a prospect, for me to try & construct anything like that

[earth-thrower 490]

33 minutes ago, Ken's Deputy said:

  My fukking back hurts! I knew it would

Think my heart hurts more though. Because I see I gave one of the best mole traps to a false friend.

  Anyway, here's the page from a 1952 S. Young & Sons (Misterton) catalogue.

Top right? That's their " Perfection ". I have one sitting behind me. I'll photograph it, in a minute.

Top, centre; " Anglo Impassable ". Saw that in one of my chests. Surprised to see I still have that one!

Bottom left? " The Enterprise ". And, I'm absolutely gutted to say; I gave it away. Along with thousands of pounds worth of gear, to a kunt who promptly ghosted me, and blamed it on his being busy with his bees.

 

 

  Yeah. Here's the 'Perfection': 

So there's an example,...in the 'flesh' then ,....great stuff ! & all them traps were available together, too ?,...a will also dig out a couple of more modern versions of the wood half barrel,...& i think it was the said Gentlemen (from above post) design,....whether it was made by their hands, or purchaser of said pamphlet of theirs, i will never quite know ! 

Edited June 18, 2021 by earth-thrower

[Ken's Deputy 4,456]

3 minutes ago, earth-thrower said:

So there's an example,...in the 'flesh' then ,....great stuff ! & all them traps were available together, too ?

Yeah, I must say, I was pretty fukking amazed, myself, to see one could still buy an Impassable and a Duffus at the same time! I mean: Fukking hell!!!

Sounds like you're craftily evolving into quite the little 'THL Official Mole Trap Aficionado', doesn't it?

 

[Nicepix 5,650]

I dug a couple of traps in the other day that were 10" deep from grass roots to tunnel floor. In clay, so it was more like sculpting than excavating. How the hell would you get one of them side actioned traps in that sort of tunnel?

[earth-thrower 490]

3 hours ago, Ken's Deputy said:

Yeah, I must say, I was pretty fukking amazed, myself, to see one could still buy an Impassable and a Duffus at the same time! I mean: Fukking hell!!!

Sounds like you're craftily evolving into quite the little 'THL Official Mole Trap Aficionado', doesn't it?

 

Not me, ma friend,...a don't know much,..but just got a wee bit of enthusiasm, for whatever 'floats ones boat'  lol ,...regards trapping, etc,...like alot of others  (Not least your good self !)

[earth-thrower 490]

3 hours ago, Nicepix said:

I dug a couple of traps in the other day that were 10" deep from grass roots to tunnel floor. In clay, so it was more like sculpting than excavating. How the hell would you get one of them side actioned traps in that sort of tunnel?

Be a pain,..if it was very often like that , Clive ? Iol,...but its a good question. I've, found you can set them at depth, but you have to take alot of extra turf out, to accommodate the set spring,...& granted if times an issue, (which it is obviously, doing it commercially) then a modern trap is going to be preferable,........its just nostalgia for the past,...with me ,..nothing more,..i wouldn't claim they are better, or anything.

[earth-thrower 490]

19 hours ago, Ken's Deputy said:

  My fukking back hurts! I knew it would

Think my heart hurts more though. Because I see I gave one of the best mole traps to a false friend.

  Anyway, here's the page from a 1952 S. Young & Sons (Misterton) catalogue.

Top right? That's their " Perfection ". I have one sitting behind me. I'll photograph it, in a minute.

Top, centre; " Anglo Impassable ". Saw that in one of my chests. Surprised to see I still have that one!

Bottom left? " The Enterprise ". And, I'm absolutely gutted to say; I gave it away. Along with thousands of pounds worth of gear, to a kunt who promptly ghosted me, and blamed it on his being busy with his bees.

 

 

  Yeah. Here's the 'Perfection':

Here you are, mate. It was a fyfe pesty who kindly sent me these. (long time ago). If I remember right , it was definitely  that  "Tony P" & co, trap design. He knew him, etc. Now , this fyfe guy might have made them himself, cause (as Phil says) full plans to make them, were in the booklet. So this version of a wood half barrel, mole traps, got to be from late 1980s/ 1990, at least, I think.

Edited June 19, 2021 by earth-thrower

[lifelong cumbrian 1,795]

22 hours ago, Nicepix said:

I dug a couple of traps in the other day that were 10" deep from grass roots to tunnel floor. In clay, so it was more like sculpting than excavating. How the hell would you get one of them side actioned traps in that sort of tunnel?

Horses for courses, I have used them in deeper runs but mainly I would use a duffus or putange. These pipe traps are good on spooky moles, well worth carrying a couple.