Gimlet

Gimlet (Period)

A gimlet is a tool designed to drill small holes in wood. It consists of a metal shaft with a cross handle at one end and a threaded point at the other. It’s a period charge, dating to 1548 in Vigil Raber’s Armorial of the Arlberg Brotherhood of St. Christopher, fo.30. The gimlet is palewise, point to base by default.

Matilda de Seton bears as a badge: A gimlet argent handled Or.

Isaac Underwode bears: Per bend sinister azure and vert, a carpenter’s square palewise point to dexter chief and a gimlet argent.

Fork

Eating fork (Accepted)

Hayfork (Period)

A fork is an implement with two or more prongs at one end. There are several varieties of fork; while no type has been explicitly ruled to be the Society’s default, the “eating fork” seems to take that honor. The eating fork was used by diners in Italy in the 16^th Century, though its use doesn’t seem to have spread before the end of period (being adopted in England only in Stuart times) [Paston-Williams, The Art of Dining, pp.75, 170]. In period, the eating fork typically had only two tines, and this is the Society default; the number of tines is nonetheless often explicitly blazoned. Though a period artifact, we have no examples of its use as a period heraldic charge; the illustration is based on a drawing by Bartolomeo Scappi, 1570 [Thornton, The Italian Renaissance Interior, pl.88].

The “hayfork” (also called the “pitchfork” or “mowing fork”) is used as a farm tool. Period heraldic examples might have either two or three prongs: two-pronged hayforks are found in the canting arms (German Gabel, “fork”) of von Gabelthofen, 1605 [Siebmacher 86], while three-pronged hayforks are found in the canting arms (German Heu, “hay”) of Hawstorffer, mid-16^th C. [NW 58]. The illustration shows the three-pronged hayfork.

The heads of forks are also occasionally found as period charges. The “hayfork head” is found in the canting arms of von der Gabel, 1605 [Siebmacher 149].

All of these fork variants have their prongs to chief by default. For related charges, see eel-fork, handgun rest, mash rake, pall, streitgabelklinge, trident. See also spoon.

Uilleam Thorken Hardhans bears: Azure, three two-tined eating forks Or, on a chief argent three sets of three passion nails in pall inverted conjoined at their heads sable.

Cerdic Cenfrithes sunu bears as a badge: Gules, an eating fork bendwise sinister argent.

Andrew of the North Shore bears: Per fess raguly argent and vert, in saltire a wooden-handled spade and a two-pronged mowing fork sable, hafted proper.

Gregory of Devon bears: Gules, a hayfork erect within a bordure rayonny Or.

Float

Bowyer’s float (Period)

A float, or flote, is a bowyer’s tool, a multi-bladed wood shave used to shape the bow. It’s a period charge, used as a badge by Oldhalle, 1457 [Hope2 182], and in the arms of the Worshipful Company of Bowyers, 1488 [Bromley & Child 25]. The float has its handle to chief by default. See also plane.

Domhnall Ó Catháin bears: Per pale azure and sable, a griffin segreant and on a chief dovetailed argent two floats gules.

Fleam

Fleam (Period)

A fleam is a surgeon’s lancet, drawn in a highly stylized manner; it’s found in the arms of the Worshipful Company of Barbers, 1451 [Bromley & Child 14]. The blade is to chief by default. The fleam is used as a symbol by the Society’s chirurgeons (and by some Kingdoms’ chirurgeon groups as well), but it is not considered a restricted charge in Society heraldry.

The Chirurgeonate bears: Gules, on a goutte argent a fleam gules.

Danyel Leech bears: Vert, three fleams Or.

Jeanne d’Aussay bears: Per chevron azure crusilly Or, and argent, in base a fleam gules.

Fer-a-loup

Fer-à-loup (Period)

A fer-à-loup (French fer à loup, “wolf iron”) is a forestry implement, found in Continental heraldry. In French blazons, it may also be called a hameçon à loup; in German blazons, a wulfsangel; mundane texts also call it a “wolf-claw” or “wolf-trap”. The fer-à-loup is a period charge, found early on in the arms of von Stein or Stain, c.1340 [Zurich 203]; in the arms of von Stein, the charge remains in that form through the end of period [Siebmacher 111].

On other coats, however, the fer-à-loup’s form evolved over time: in some cases, with a solid bar appearing between the blade and its loop; in other cases, being reinterpreted as an axe-head.

The fer-à-loup’s convex cutting edge is to chief by medieval and Society default. See also knife.

Rognvaldr bassi bears: Per saltire gules and Or, a fer-à-loup sable.

Ulfarr MacDhughaill bears: Per pale sable and azure, a fer-a-loup and an orle Or.

Natalya of Lochmere bear: Argent, in pale three fers-à-loup sable.

Eel-fork

Eel-fork (Period)

Salmon-spear, or eel-spear (Period)

An eel-fork, or eel-spear, is a tool used by fishermen in taking eels. It consists of a multi-tined head with broad, flat points; the shaft is not shown. Examples of the artifact can be found as early as the 16th Century; as a charge, the eel-fork is found in the arms of Stretele or Stratley, c.1413 [DBA2 350; cf. Parker 220]. The illustration is based on a period artifact.

Similar to the eel-fork is the “salmon-spear” or “harping iron”, often shown in armory with a fish transfixed on its tines, as seen in the arms of Ränntl, mid-16th C. [NW 151]. It differs from the eel-fork in that its tines are narrow and barbed, rather like a trident head. (Nonetheless, this form was also, confusingly, blazoned as an “eel-spear” [cf. Guillim1 220]; there seems to have been no consistent distinction between the various forms.)

The eel-fork and its variants have their points to base by default. For related charges, see fork.

Varukh syn Iarygin bears: Per bend sinister argent and vert, four eel-forks conjoined in cross by their bases counterchanged.

Dorothea af Holm bears: Gules, an eel-fork, on a chief argent an eel sable.

Drop-spindle

Drop-spindle (Period)

A drop-spindle is a rod set in a whorl, used as a tool for winding fiber into thread by hand. It’s a period charge, found in the canting arms of von Spindlwerg, mid-16^th C [NW 137]. Guillim, 1610 [204], also terms it a “wharrow-spindle” or “fuseau”, and assigns it to the canting arms of Trefusis.

The drop-spindle is shown with a load of thread by default; the fact is sometimes explicitly blazoned, e.g., a “threaded” or “full” drop-spindle. Empty drop-spindles are permitted, but must be so specified.

The period form of drop-spindle, with a small whorl and ellipsoidal load of thread (as in the illustration), is the preferred form for Society armory; the modern form, with a large disc-shaped or cone-shaped whorl and conical load, is no longer permitted.

For related charges, see lace bobbin, quill of yarn. See also distaff, shuttle (weaver’s), spinning wheel, yarn.

Helva of Saxony bears: Vert, a full drop-spindle argent.

Johanna de Assartis bears: Per chevron throughout azure and argent, a drop-spindle azure.

Scolastica la souriete bears as a badge: A drop-spindle sable, threaded ermine.

Drawknife

Drawknife (Period)

A drawknife is a carpenter’s tool for smoothing wood, consisting of a long-edged knife with a handle at either end. It’s a period charge, found in the canting arms (German schaben, “to scrape”) of von Schaben, 1605 [Siebmacher 139]. The drawknife is fesswise, handles and cutting edge to base, by default. For related charges, see shave. See also float, plane.

Alrikr Timber-quaker bears: Per saltire gules and sable, a drawknife and a bordure dovetailed argent.

Abrahe çaragoça bears: Or, on a fess dovetailed gules a drawknife Or.

Ailill mac Duib Dara bears as a badge: A drawknife argent.

Cleaver

Cleaver (Period)

A cleaver is a wide, massive blade intended to chop meat into more readily edible portions. The cleaver’s blade might vary in emblazons, as it did for the artifacts themselves, but was always broad and basically rectangular in shape. It’s a period charge, found in the arms of von Altbach, c.1525 [BSB Cod.Icon 392d:544, 545; cf. also Hausbuch der Mendelschen, c.1436, in Amman xl].

The cleaver is palewise, handle to base and cutting edge to dexter, by default. See also axe, knife.

Erich Küchengehilfe bears: Per bend sinister vert and sable, a cleaver bendwise sinister reversed argent.

Nicolae la bouchiere bears: Per pale argent and azure, a cleaver bendwise sinister counterchanged.

Cecily de Chinon bears: Quarterly vert and sable, four cleavers argent.

Guillem Cosinier bears: Gules, a cleaver sable.

Chisel

Stonecutter’s chisel, edge to chief (Accepted); wood chisel (Period)

A chisel is a tool for chipping or carving some surface, consisting of a metal bar with a sharpened edge at one end. It’s a period charge, found in the canting arms of Cheseldene, 1413 [DBA2 401].

Parker [114] says that the stonecutter’s chisel is the default form; however, period rolls [e.g., the Fenwick Roll, temp. Henry VI; Bedingfeld 61] show the wood chisel instead. The exact type should therefore probably be specified. There doesn’t seem to be a default orientation for all chisels; the Society has defined the default for wood chisels to be with their edges to chief. The illustration shows both chisels so drawn. See also awl, graver.

Jón trételgja Ljótsson bears: Sable, three wood chisels argent.

Sigurðr inn danski bears: Or, a wood chisel, blade to chief, sable.

Stiamna mac Martain bears: Vert, four wood chisels bendwise sinister blades to chief two and two Or.

Mistholme

heraldry, illumination, and random jottings

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