This artifact is a cant hook, a traditional logging tool that was used to assist lumbermen in working with logs in sawmills. It consists of a wooden lever and a hinged iron hook, called a dog or catch, at the end. The dog would pass over the log and grip it, which would allow the lumberman to roll or turn the log with ease, sparing them the effort of moving them by hand. Cant hooks could also be used to load logs onto sleds or dislodge them from piles.
The cant hook is similar to the Peavey, the main difference being that the cant hook has a blunted end rather than a point, which often had a metal lip (called a ‘hog-nose’) or hook (called a ‘crow-foot’) on it to help grasp the log. The Peavey, invented by Joseph Peavey, a blacksmith, in 1856, had a metal point on the end which was used to separate logs more easily and was considered a slight improvement on the cant hook.
The name ‘cant hook’ comes from the word ‘cant’, which is the technical word for an unfinished squared timber that has had one or more slabs cut off of it in a sawmill. The origin of the cant hook is shrouded in mystery. However, we do know that they were essential tools in the lumber industry during the pioneer days of Canada, which was at the time one of the premier industries of the country.