Some tools don’t just last a lifetime — they become part of a family’s story.
That’s exactly what happened to Robert “Bob” Jones of Placerville, California. While digging a post hole on his property, he noticed something he’d never seen before: the word “Warwood” faintly stamped into the steel of his well-used digging and tamping bar.
That small detail uncovered a remarkable piece of American manufacturing history.
A Tool Passed Down Through Three Generations
Bob’s bar isn’t just old. It’s generational.
“I got my post hole digging/tamping bar from my dad, who got it from his dad,” Jones said. “I believe it was originally purchased in the late 1800s for my grandfather’s ranch in Hollister, California. It’s still working great and has assisted three generations of us digging hundreds of holes for pipe, fence posts, ditches, etc. I just used it yesterday.”
A tool that has dug everything from fence post holes to irrigation lines for more than a century — and is still in active service — is rare. But for Warwood Tool, it’s the kind of story that speaks directly to who we are.
Forged in the 1800s. Still Forged the Same Way Today.
Founded in 1854 in Wheeling, West Virginia, Warwood Tool has been hand-forging tools in the United States for more than 170 years. What makes Bob’s story especially meaningful is that many of the same forging methods used to make his family’s bar are still used in our shop today — including the century-old drop hammers and presses that form our tools.
Warwood Tool President Chris Azur says stories like Bob’s are a powerful reminder of the company’s heritage.
“It’s incredible to see a tool like this still at work after more than 100 years. We still use many of the same hammers, presses and forging methods that built tools like Bob’s generations ago. That level of durability and craftsmanship is what continues to define Warwood Tool today.”
Built to Last. Proven by Time.
Bob’s photos show a well-used but unbroken bar — a solid reminder that true craftsmanship doesn’t expire. For Warwood Tool, which continues to forge every tool in the U.S. with American-sourced steel, stories like this are more than nostalgia. They’re living proof of our founding promise: to build tools that last for generations.
And in this case, that promise is now more than 125 years strong — and still digging.
About Warwood Tool
Warwood Tool has been forging American-quality hand tools for over 170 years. Based in Wheeling, West Virginia, we specialize in high-performance tools for forestry, construction and industrial trades. With U.S.-sourced steel and time-tested forging methods, our tools are built to outlast and outperform. Learn more at www.warwoodtool.com.
