It's once again time for our collaboration with the ever-amusing What Is It? Blog. Do you know what this thing is?
Place your guess in the comment section below. One guess per comment, please, though you can enter as many as you'd like. Post no URLs or weblinks, as doing so will forfeit your entry. Two winners: the first correct guess and the funniest (albeit ultimately wrong) guess will win T-shirt from the NeatoShop.
Please write your T-shirt selection alongside your guess. If you don't include a selection, you forfeit the prize, okay? May we suggest the Science T-Shirts, Funny T-Shirts and Artist-Designed T-Shirts?
There's more objects to guess posted at the What Is It? Blog. Do your best, and good luck!
Update: Berhard was the first of many with the correct answer; this is a trowel bayonet. Fafa had the funniest answer: a combination pizza server and zombie defense knife! Both win t-shirts from the NeatoShop.
#0841 Model 1874 Chittendon-Rice patented “Trowel Bayonet” for use with the Model 1873 Springfield Trapdoor Rifle. This was a failed brainstorm where the Army decided to combine a foxhole digging tool with a bayonet. It was supposed to be used WITHOUT the rifle, but soldiers found the rifle was a handy handle for the bayonet and would get dirt on the rifle bores when using this as a shovel rather than a trowel. These were only made for a little over a year with just a few thousand made, but were in use during the Indian Wars.
I expect that it is made of steel, and has light surface rust.. only appearing to be bronze... However this is hard to see... lighting and backround colours and the sensor may severly influence the perception.. (However it could also be that my assumptions are not correct)
as in Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_spade
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Who's Bringing The Chips? 2XL