Name/Title
Carpenter's Mate [Collar Insignia]Description
Collar insignia shaped as a carpenter's broad axe, composed of an axe head and long handle. Hand fabricated and made of copper.Context
The Carpenter's Mate is the primary assistant to the Carpenter, responsible for the maintenance and repair of the ship's wooden parts, as well as its water stocks. Typical activities for a Carpenter's Mate included caulking the ship's boats, repairing masts and other wooden pieces of the ship, maintaining paddles, and other miscellaneous tasks of carpentry as may be required. The most important task for the Carpenter's Mate was maintenance of the ship's hull from attack from barnacles and ship worm. As a specialist professional whose expertise and authority demanded formal recognition, he wore collar insignia.
The Carpenter's Mate, along with the Boatswain's Mate and Gunner's Mate, remained with the ship even when she was out of commission (e.g. for repair, refitting or replenishment, or while laid up).
This insignia is believed to have been handmade of scrap copper pieces used to sheath the Texas Navy ships in the Algiers Shipyard, New Orleans, Louisiana.