hempbreaker

It is important that a coat of arms be easily recognised and so everyday objects were frequently used as clearly identifiable charges – tools Boutell’s Heraldry, J.P. Brooke-Little, Warne, (revised Edition) London 1970, P 69 being a common and important example of these, of which the hempbreaker is typical. Some of these tools are rather obscure to modern eyes, especially this one. Who nowadays would recognise this tool used for pounding hemp prior to twisting them into ropes? A Glossary of Terms used in British Heraldry, J.H. Parker, Oxford, 1894, Entry:hemp-break