Any ideas? All I know is that is in the collection of the Latah County (Idaho) Historical Collection. The area is a farming area - lots of wheat, canola, lentils, dried peas. As we all know, GRM is the place to find out all answers, so I am putting the collective knowledge to the test.
Hoof cleaning tool?
No, hoof cleaning tools look different- well, at least modern ones do.
Toothpick?
This is not a quiz...I have no idea what it is. I'm gonna go ahead and say it is not a toothpick though.
The two circular things look like a pulley to me more than anything else I can think of. I guess they could serve as a guard of some type.
Something about it says "horses" or "harness making" to me, but I know exactly zip about either subject.
I will be following this thread with interest.
It reminds me of an old fence-wire twisting tool.
T.J. wrote: This is not a quiz...I have no idea what it is. I'm gonna go ahead and say it is not a toothpick though.
I never said it was a toothpick for a human. 
I'm no expert, but I do watch that "woodright's shop" show on PBS. Any time I've seen that pulley-type thing it has been used with a bow and string to make it a rotary tool.
The offset of the shaft kinda confuses me though. Some kind of awl?
Is it like a pulley on the shaft, or more like a depth gauge, or thumbrest?
It's a hole deburring tool.
I've seen the offset shaft somewhere before...
Looks almost like an old looming tool for making fabric.
I know exactly what it is! My Scottish Grandfather, Tom Primrose was a tool and die maker at Goodyear in Akron. He made several, and I watched him use one, 46 year ago. I had forgotten about it.
Of all things.....It is a can opener. You punch a hole in the center of the can with the point. Lean it over 90 degrees and the wheels follow and cut the rim of the can. The offset point is kinda hooked in the middle of the can when it is leaned over and won't pop out. I will see if I can find my Grandfathers. Thanks for the memory.
The picture below is not Grandfathers can opener, but is the closest I could find quickly.
That makes a lot of sense. I think you got it.
Very similar to this one that was patented in 1902. The cutting blade is not circular like the one I pictured, but it sure seems like they were made for the same job. Thanks Gasoline!
Yeah, no- I wouldn't have guessed that...
I'm still waiting for one of these threads where everyone is stumped.
(announcer voice)
And the manifold and varied wisdom of the GRM forum collective once again saves the day!
and here I thought it was an embalming tool.
I was kind of relieved to find that this wasn't a thread with a picture of some member on here who wasn't behaving well and was a little over the hill.
Even more relieved that it wasn't a thread about me!
This place is awesome.
You'll need to log in to post.
