A Longshoreman's hook, also known as a box hook, cargo hook, loading hook, or docker's hook is a tool historically used by longshoremen

Stevedore

Stevedore, dockworker, docker, dock labourer, wharfie and longshoreman can have various waterfront-related meanings concerning loading and unloading ships, according to place and country....

 (stevedores). The tool consists of a round wooden handle with a strong metal hook about 8" long projecting at a right angle from the center of the handle. The handle is held in a closed fist with the hook projecting between two fingers.

Before the age of containerization

Containerization

Containerization is a system of freight transport based on a range of steel intermodal containers...

, freight was moved on and off ships with extensive manual labor, and this was the basic tool of the dockworker. The hook became an emblem of the longshoreman's profession in the same way that a hammer and anvil are associated with blacksmith

Blacksmith

A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...

s, or the pipe wrench

Pipe wrench

The pipe wrench is an adjustable wrench used for turning soft iron pipes and fittings with a rounded surface. The design of the adjustable jaw allows it to rock in the frame, such that any forward pressure on the handle tends to pull the jaws tighter together. Teeth angled in the direction of turn...

 with plumber

Plumber

A plumber is a tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable water, sewage, and drainage in plumbing systems. The term dates from ancient times, and is related to the Latin word for lead, "plumbum." A person engaged in fixing metaphorical "leaks" may also be...

s. When longshoremen went on strike or retired, it was known as "hanging up the hook" or "slinging the hook", and the newsletter for retired members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union

International Longshore and Warehouse Union

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union is a labor union which primarily represents dock workers on the West Coast of the United States, Hawaii and Alaska, and in British Columbia, Canada. It also represents hotel workers in Hawaii, cannery workers in Alaska, warehouse workers throughout...

's Seattle Local is called The Rusty Hookhttp://www.ilwu19.com/rustyhook/.

A longshoreman's hook was often carried by hooking it through the belt.

Some cargo items are liable to be damaged if pulled at with a longshoreman’s hook: hence the "Use No Hooks" warning sign. http://www.lpsind.com/IntlPicSeries.htm

A longshoreman's hook looks somewhat intimidating, and as it was also associated with strong tough dockworkers, it became a commonly used weapon in crime fiction, similar to the ice pick. For example, in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...

entitled Shopping for Death, a character is murdered (off screen) using a longshoreman's hook. It was sometimes used as a weapon and means of intimidation in real life as well; the book Joey the Hit Man: The Autobiography of a Mafia Killer states "One guy who used to work on the docks was called Charlie the Hook. If he didn't like you he would pick you up with his hook."

External links

• Smithsonian Institution exhibit on the mechanization of the cargo shipping industry.
• Images of longshoreman's hooks: http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2003/janfeb/images/showcase/hoffer.items.jpg http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/upload/img_200/H4360.jpg http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove/img/media/l/424.jpg