Historical information

The double-ended ring spanner served as a useful, manual tool for maintaining farm machinery. The hexagonal rings would be placed over a nut to secure it, before the spanner was rotated to tighten the nut. The ring design provides greater purchase, or grip on all sides of the nut, which in turn reduces the risk of rounding the nut, or slippage. Early spanners were mostly made from iron and hand-forged using an anvil and hammer. Since the mid-19th century, gravity or powered drop forging techniques were used to compress metal for greater strength. Ring spanners produced in the 20th century are mostly made of chrome vanadium steel.

Physical description

stainless steel, some pitting. One end slightly smaller than the other

References