comanche 2,799 Posted May 2, 2022 Report Share Posted May 2, 2022 (edited) Photographed these four years ago . The trap at the back has a very fancy treadle and jaws that don't quite meet; as if was designed for a leg hold. I remember at the time thinking that it looked a bit small for a man trap . Can't quite make out if it is original, or has been repaired or adapted from an earlier trap. Or if it's just been cobbled up as a display item. Any thoughts? Edited May 2, 2022 by comanche Quote Link to post
micky 3,325 Posted May 2, 2022 Report Share Posted May 2, 2022 Cannot see the point of it ! it would look more at home on a Sewing Machine than on a trap . Quote Link to post
Ken's Deputy 4,456 Posted May 2, 2022 Report Share Posted May 2, 2022 Top one's a purpose made man trap. Don't know why they put treads like that on them. But, they did. Possibly to make them harder to detect when playing D&D. Bottom one's a typical, Lane, 'big game' trap. I always found it surprising, the number of them ordered / bought and yet which never seem to have made it to Africa. I knew of a 'Heron Trap', made to special order, once. Don't think they were fussy whether it caught a Heron, Lee, Penfold, what ever. 1 Quote Link to post
comanche 2,799 Posted May 2, 2022 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, Ken's Deputy said: Top one's a purpose made man trap. Don't know why they put treads like that on them. But, they did. Possibly to make them harder to detect when playing D&D. Bottom one's a typical, Lane, 'big game' trap. I always found it surprising, the number of them ordered / bought and yet which never seem to have made it to Africa. I knew of a 'Heron Trap', made to special order, once. Don't think they were fussy whether it caught a Heron, Lee, Penfold, what ever. I wonder if they had access to a load of generic cast iron decorative bits made of the sort used in trivets or fancy panels and thought "just the job" for a treadle. Or maybe a landowner caught with a shed load after they were banned could claim "Purely decorative your Honour." Edited May 2, 2022 by comanche Quote Link to post
Ken's Deputy 4,456 Posted May 2, 2022 Report Share Posted May 2, 2022 Dunno, mate. What if we spin the question around; 'Why did no one ever use those weird treadles on 'normal' traps?' No. I've seen a few, authenticated, Man Traps. Those treadles do occur. Quote Link to post
Ken's Deputy 4,456 Posted May 2, 2022 Report Share Posted May 2, 2022 And what the f**k is This? Locking mechanism? Quote Link to post
comanche 2,799 Posted May 2, 2022 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2022 (edited) 10 minutes ago, Ken's Deputy said: And what the f**k is This? Locking mechanism? Doh, l should've paid more attention and taken better pictures. Maybe a swivelly safety catch that stops the thing going off accidentally during setting ? Or an adjustable device for setting the distance between the sprung jaws. Like just enough to grip a wayward ankle( "Let this be a warning to you") or full shin snapping("Take that you poaching bastxrd!") crunch! I should have got a closer look! Edited May 2, 2022 by comanche Quote Link to post
Ken's Deputy 4,456 Posted May 2, 2022 Report Share Posted May 2, 2022 See the sliding collars, on the springs of the other trap? That was the industry standard for flat spring 'safety's'. I've seen a shit ton of such traps / springs. Always the same. Explain How that piece does anything. I can't. I do think I see a screw slot though. Right hand side? See that, there? WTF's That all about? What might that suggest? Any danger of ye returning to the place? Quote Link to post
comanche 2,799 Posted May 2, 2022 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2022 3 minutes ago, Ken's Deputy said: See the sliding collars, on the springs of the other trap? That was the industry standard for flat spring 'safety's'. I've seen a shit ton of such traps / springs. Always the same. Explain How that piece does anything. I can't. I do think I see a screw slot though. Right hand side? See that, there? WTF's That all about? What might that suggest? Any danger of ye returning to the place? Maybe it's for locking the offender in the trap until they get im to court It was in Rye. If l go back l'll try to remember where. Quote Link to post
Ken's Deputy 4,456 Posted May 2, 2022 Report Share Posted May 2, 2022 1 minute ago, comanche said: Maybe it's for locking the offender in the trap until they get im to court Not so far from a truth. They did put locking mechanisms on Man traps. A bloke isn't going to just sit there, shaking his foot and biting at the trap, after all. If it were a simple matter of depressing that spring? He'd find a way. It 'normally' involved a ratchet ~ think of hand cuffs. I say 'normally', because those things weren't exactly as common as rabbit gins. Though, saying that? I did once study an auction house catalogue of Man Traps. Might have been Sotheby's? Whole fukking Collection of the things, anyway. Can't remember shit now But, yeah. That's a real Man trap, right enough. Please get your arse back to Rye and sort this out for us! Only a matter of time now before some new fukking snow flake curator decides it represents colonial oppression and has it melted down! Quote Link to post
comanche 2,799 Posted May 2, 2022 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2022 (edited) 7 hours ago, Ken's Deputy said: Not so far from a truth. They did put locking mechanisms on Man traps. A bloke isn't going to just sit there, shaking his foot and biting at the trap, after all. If it were a simple matter of depressing that spring? He'd find a way. It 'normally' involved a ratchet ~ think of hand cuffs. I say 'normally', because those things weren't exactly as common as rabbit gins. Though, saying that? I did once study an auction house catalogue of Man Traps. Might have been Sotheby's? Whole fukking Collection of the things, anyway. Can't remember shit now But, yeah. That's a real Man trap, right enough. Please get your arse back to Rye and sort this out for us! Only a matter of time now before some new fukking snow flake curator decides it represents colonial oppression and has it melted down! Ken , l remembered where l saw them and l don't think they are in danger of recyling as they feature in adverts for the fine Rye museum . l mean that;it's a really good place to visit! Check their online adverts. Edited May 2, 2022 by comanche Quote Link to post
Ken's Deputy 4,456 Posted May 2, 2022 Report Share Posted May 2, 2022 Dunno, mate. I've taken both pic's down. Blown them up as far as they'll go. Nun the wiser. We're just not getting the angle required to add any dimension to that damn thing. It appears to be attached to the side of the spring eye. Yeah? So, it'll lift with that, on firing, and could possibly act with, say, a ratchet cut into the side of that jaw? Ye with me? So, if it Were a thing, like a playing card pegged in ye bike wheel? Ratchet cut the right way. Right level of bend in the steel 'card'? It could well 'lock' and hold the jaws shut. Are they then released by action on that screw? (Is there an Engineer in the house?) My mind's no good at this dimensional thinking. What could a screw thread, in that position and facing in that direction, cause to happen? I wonder why it's on the inside? Ye'd have to hunker down right beside the guys leg, to get at it. Think I'd feel more comfortable kneeling by the spring, myself. Of course, I may well be miles wide of the mark. I'm only guessing. We can't See shit, so it's hard to figure. Maybe someone else could work out a viable idea? Maybe some fukker's even been up close to the damn thing and had a good fukking look?! What ever. I feel like " John ", here Quote Link to post
Ken's Deputy 4,456 Posted May 4, 2022 Report Share Posted May 4, 2022 Just to throw in here; I've been privately shown another photo. It's on google. Flickr, to be precise. Raises far more questions than answers. But, actually leads me to suspect I used to know of the exact maker. I actually had several of his traps. Trouble is? I genuinely can't fukking remember his name now!!! He was a Blacksmith who actually became quite notorious for the quality of his traps. Still can't fathom what those, quite elaborate really, things on the sides of the eyes are though. Quote Link to post
Ken's Deputy 4,456 Posted May 5, 2022 Report Share Posted May 5, 2022 On 02/05/2022 at 21:30, Ken's Deputy said: What ever. I feel like " John ", here Quote Link to post
comanche 2,799 Posted May 5, 2022 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2022 21 hours ago, Ken's Deputy said: Just to throw in here; I've been privately shown another photo. It's on google. Flickr, to be precise. Raises far more questions than answers. But, actually leads me to suspect I used to know of the exact maker. I actually had several of his traps. Trouble is? I genuinely can't fukking remember his name now!!! He was a Blacksmith who actually became quite notorious for the quality of his traps. Still can't fathom what those, quite elaborate really, things on the sides of the eyes are though. Yes ,l've just found a flicr picture of a double sprung trap with a similar fancy treadle . It has flat spurs either side of the spring eye. My guess is they were foot pegs for depressing the spring. Quote Link to post
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.