Antique Cast Iron Spile

[wmick]

Buddy of mine ran across a handful of these somewhere and gave me one...
Curious about a couple things..
1. I wonder how old it is... When did they stop making cast "iron" spiles?
2. I'm having a hard time understanding how this would tighten into the hole very well. No round tapered section that we typically see. Anybody used this style before?

Kind of cool though... Makes me think I should start a little collection to hang on the wall of the Sugar Shack.. (if I ever build a shack:))16498

[Wanabe1972]

A friend of mine got a 5 gallon pail full of these when he bought out a sugar House. He never tried them and said he gave them away. I wish I had saved a few for my sugar House.

[maple maniac65]

Buddy of mine ran across a handful of these somewhere and gave me one...
Curious about a couple things..
1. I wonder how old it is... When did they stop making cast "iron" spiles?
2. I'm having a hard time understanding how this would tighten into the hole very well. No round tapered section that we typically see. Anybody used this style before?

Kind of cool though... Makes me think I should start a little collection to hang on the wall of the Sugar Shack.. (if I ever build a shack:))16498

There is a book written by Hale Mattoon called Maple Spouts Stiles Taps and Tools

Has everything in it

[Wannabe]

. Anybody used this style before?
)16498

Yep and also used some of these yet this year https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-1898-maple-tree-syrup-sap-tap-119071107

The ones I have don't seem to leak any more or less than the 'newer' style taps (just one here and there).

Lots of people still using them and know of people still looking to buy more to put to use.

[Snowmad]

We have a few. I used a couple when I was a kid. Always seemed to leak. They had a square shape to them and a square shaped hole for the hook that goes with it.

[Waynehere]

I use to use these before going to tubing. They stuck pretty well in the tree, but leaked a lot. Mine had a date on them in the late 1800's. Sold them, along with the buckets. I hung onto a few in hopes of setting up a little display as well in the sapshack too. Some day... :)

[Woodsrover]

I have a bunch of old ones I hammered into my sugarhouse wall for coat hooks.