Antique Slate Roof Nail Ripper Cutter Slaters

This is a nice, clean, antique slate roof repair tool, designed to slide under the slates of the roof, and cut the nails of the slate piece that needs to be replaced. Since the nails are usually a soft metal, this type cutter is effective in most cases to cut the nail and free the broken slate to be replaced. There was about 3 manufactures of these rippers, and this one is almost identical to the Belden Machine Co. brand that was one of the best known for quality tools, but we believe this to be made by AULD & CONGER CO CLEVELAND OHIO. These nail removing tools where generally made in two or three piece construction, the handle area a softer less brittle metal, and then the cutting section, a hardened and tempered steel so the cutting edge would hold it's edge during routine use. The cutting edges can be sharpened if you wish, this one as you can see in the picture is sharp and ready to use. The condition of this tool is far better than most we have seen, with some evidence of hammer striking marks on the forward section of the handle, and just minor dings on the rounded cap end, (this tool can be used in either push or pull movements). There is some evidence of past rust, no pitting, not rusty, but metal is bare, no paint, or very little. The cutter sections are about 99% intact as new. You may want to sharpen them slightly before use to suit your purpose, but it plenty sharp enough to go to work as is. This tool is 29.5" long overall, the flat straight part to slide under the slate is 24" from the tip to the L shaped part of the handle. A quality USA made antique slater's cutter in very good, useable condition!