Hello and welcome to this wood and metal spiked Flax Hatchel hand made farm tool for flax preparation.  It is primitive and the spikes have rusted a bit. It has two end boards, both of which have Pennsylvania Dutch like hex sign designs stamped into them. They are also called hexafoil's or daisy wheels. On one of the end boards is a painted design and words.  I have included several views of the same end with the words on it in order to decipher what it says.  The word "the" is definite and there may be a date of 1784 there as well. The Hetchel is 18 inches long and 5 1/2 inches wide.  It is 4 inches tall from base to top of nail like metal spikes. It weighs 3 pounds 4 ounces before postal packaging. This is a primitive hand made tool so condition is somewhat irrelevant - It is obvious from the design that a long, long time ago, a section of the baseboard sheered off. The remaining tool is solid, well built, and intact.