Description Scabbet, or wrench holder. The scabbet is made out of leather with two holes cut out of it and attached to a looped piece of reinforced canvas.
Historical Notes Local 40 ironworker, Robert Dennis wore this scabbet on his tool belt and used it to carry two spud wrenches.
Curator's Comment Robert Dennis spent 34 years with New York City’s Local 40 Ironworkers’ Union. On September 11, 2001, Dennis was on the Triborough Bridge, working on renovations to its Bronx span, when he saw the low-flying jet that subsequently crashed into the World Trade Center. He was dismissed from his job that day and told to go home. Like many other members of his trade, Dennis responded to the disaster scene, bringing an expertise in cutting and moving heavy pieces of steel.
Dennis worked at Ground Zero for six nights. Because work at Ground Zero involved demolition rather than building, he found little practical use for his tools, most of which are used for erecting structural steel.
In addition to using his ironworking skills, Dennis helped members of the New York City Police Department identify credentialed ironworkers among the many volunteers who had converged at Ground Zero wanting to help but lacking the necessary skills and expertise for the hazardous site. HIDE