1898 Maple Tree Taps

This pair of 1898 Maple tree 'Spiles' are for tapping Maple trees to collect the sap for making Maple Syrup. They are marked with “Pat’d” on one side and “1898” on the other. These are the really old ones - authentic cast steel (cast iron?) of unknown composition. They have a cross at the back where they are hammered into the hole that would have been pre drilled in the tree. There is a hollow channel for the sap to run down and a hook for the bucket to hang under the tap/spile. The metal that has rusted and now give a 'Vintage Look' patina. Because of the rust, these are for decoration only and should not be put in a tree. Our Father found and collected these because he was making Maple Syrup and found the history of it interesting.