What are these?

I want to say marlin spike, but the offset handles elude me as to function. 

NOHOME said:

I want to say marlin spike, but the offset handles elude me as to function. 

I agree, that's the most similar appearing tool that I can think of. Could be coincidence, or an accurate guess.

What's that expression? The same, only different. 

someone said tuning pegs a few pages back. I saw this video on reddit and I'm pretty sure they were right. Obviously not the same, but similar. 

It's gotten to the point where I feel compelled to open this thread every time it comes to the top just to see if someone has finally figured it out. 

I'd say rope tool is more likely than tuning peg, but hey, that's just like, my opinion, man.

As several others said, this looks like it is a marlin spike for making ropes.  Just saw this today on Reddit:

Making rope with a Marlin Spike

When I saw this video this morning I was like "That's the tool no one could definitely ID on GRM from the library.  Now where's that post....".

*Furious searching for this topic begins before my one working ADD addled brain cell forgets the post..*

This is hilarious, because I was just thinking about this thread yesterday.

The link goes nowhere, though- Reddit says no such group exists. 

In reply to Brett_Murphy :

Lol, of course. They’re hiding it from us.....

Wow.  That's weird.  It opened up for me.  
 

lets try this

You tube making a rope with a marlin spike

Closer to what I'd call a Fid than a Marlin Spike, but I'm still not seeing the offset knobs. What particular type of marlin spike/fid would have those? Job specialty specific or regional-cultural? Sail making on a small island off the coast of Norway? Fishing nets on a stretch of South Pacific coast?

They're tools from the tropical island of Tong.

Tong is 50 miles long and 9 feet wide.

Their chief export is rope.

I can't take credit for that, it's an old Jonathan Winters bit but I can't seem to find it anywhere.