Does anyone know what a tapping iron is?

[Joe Hillmann]

Does anyone know what a tapping iron is?

I have been reading a couple books about maple syrup in the 1870's. They both mention using tapping irons because the local blacksmith couldnt make a auger but as tapping iron was easy.  

One book said after using the tapping iron the pounded in wooden spouts.  The other book said the used metal spouts made by the blacksmith from worn out blades.  But neither book describes what a tapping iron is.

[Don P]

I was hoping one of the northern guys would know. My guess is a form of what I'd call a reaming awl, a drawn out pointed 2,3 or 4 sided tool for making a small hole. If he twisted it I'd call it a gimlet.

Eric Sloane talks about a "burning awl" used on a sumac spile for burning out the pith to use for tapping maple sap.

[Joe Hillmann]

My first thought was a it may just be a nail they pound into the tree to make a small hole then pound a piece of metal into the hole that would be to soft to pound in on its own.  And that second piece of metal would cause the sap to stick to it from surface tension and guide it to drip in the bucket instead of a modern  pipe shaped tap we are used to today.

But I dont know if that would work.  And the author says there is no need to go deeper than 2 inches deep into the tree.  Although the 2 inch deep part may be talking about modern tapping with a auger bit.

[celliott]

I don't know about an older tapping iron, but this is my modern tapping iron