BLACKSMITH MADE TOOL, CLINCH CUTTER

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Overview

Hand forged double ended small hole punch or pick combined with a wedged blade. Both pick and blade are at right angles to the handle.
The head of the wedged blade is worn, presumably from repeated striking with a hammer.

Historical information

A clinch cutter is essentially a heavy steel chisel with a handle. It is a farrier's tool used to remove or open nail clinches on a horse's hoof, allowing horseshoe nails to be safely extracted without damaging the hoof wall. (Clinches are the bent-over end of a horse-shoe nail visible on the hoof wall)
The flat blade is positioned directly beneath the bent-over nail and flush against the hoof wall. The tool is struck with a hammer to shear or bend the clinch, after which the nail can be pulled out with minimal effort. The pointed end (the pritchel) could be used to clean out any debris or to resize nail holes on the horseshoe as needed or to engage with nail heads in less accessible areas of the hoof.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-37-2021.11d)

Item type

Tools

Material

Metal

Contextual information

Part of a collection of 20 Blacksmithing tools made by a blacksmith, separated into groups a) - h).
Have been in storage for some time and have all been cleaned and oiled for preservation. Unknown history.

Links to additional resources

https://jdcutters.com/how-to-use-a-clinch-cutter/

Cutters webpage, "How to use a clinch cutter: Step-by-step guide"

Last modified

Sunday, 19 July, 2026

Completeness

Item feedback

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