Mystery object ? Any thoughts?

[toolsntat]

This item was kindly given to me by Bill Carter on the proviso that I found out what it was.
Well after showing a fair few people I still have found no one who can categorically say what it was used for.
It was made by LONG LONDON.
The inside edge has a "gripping" type of serration and the measured scale is repeated the four times?
Anyway here are some pics....
Cheers Andy

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d128/ ... C_1355.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d128/ ... C_1356.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d128/ ... C_1357.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d128/ ... C_1358.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d128/ ... C_1359.jpg

 

[graduate_owner]

Precision nutcracker? On second thoughts, perhaps not

K

 

[adidat]

some kind of medical forceps, that conform to a certain curve of the body?

adidat

 

[Jacob]

Shop or culinary? Resembles sugar tongs vaguely. For cutting toffee, liquorice, tobacco or summat?

 

[Grahamshed]

You could try showing it to a local sheep and see if he runs away. ( just guessing )

 

[dickm]

The scale on the side probably precludes it being something veterinary or medical - people and sheep don't usually get cut by measure. The usual answer for things like this is "something in the leather trade" - might be worth consulting the shoe museum in Northampton? (or is it Wellingborough?)

 

[adidat]

The thumbscrew and the serated edges point to more of a clamping action, rather than cutting.

Adidat

 

[Racers]

Hi,

Didn't they have something like this on QI for holding horses lips, it calms them down apparently, called a twitch?

Pete

 

[neilyweely]

I'd bet it was medical or vetinary of some sort.

Neil

 

[GazPal]

Hi,

Didn't they have something like this on QI for holding horses lips, it calms them down apparently, called a twitch?

Pete

Twitches tend to be akin to massively over-sized but toothless nut-crackers. We have and use one on our horses every now and then.

My vote goes with some kind of saddler's tool (Yep, a guess at leather work lol )....... or possibly a tool used in docking tails. etc.

 

[bugbear]

some kind of medical forceps, that conform to a certain curve of the body?

adidat

Agreed on guessing medical - those gripping cross-hatches on the handles look very medical.

Are the scales "just" inches, or something more unusual?

BugBear

 

[Kalimna]

My first thought when I saw this was also surgical, given the cross hatched handles. However, on reflection I cant think of anywhere it may be used - scales tend to only appear on orthopaedic instruments, and there is nothing I can think of that would need a curved blade like that. Also, the clamping action tends to be more 'parallel', i.e. the tissue is held at the end furthest away from the hinge, so as not to crush tissue unequallly - the scale starts at the hinged end. Now, there are some situations where you might want to stretch something, but again, the clamping action on this tool works the other way.
Hmmmm, an interesting one....
Adam

 

[bugbear]

Hi,

Didn't they have something like this on QI for holding horses lips, it calms them down apparently, called a twitch?

Pete

Twitches tend to be akin to massively over-sized but toothless nut-crackers. We have and use one on our horses every now and then.

My vote goes with some kind of saddler's tool (Yep, a guess at leather work lol )....... or possibly a tool used in docking tails. etc.

That looks right (the tool directly above the tail docker).

So it IS medical, but not for humans!

BugBear

 

[graduate_owner]

Perhaps the most appropriate question is not 'what is it' but 'what can I use it for, now that I have it'

K

 

[RogerP]

The print is labelled "Farriers Tools" which is subtly different from saddler's, veterinary or medical tools.

 

[bugbear]

The print is labelled "Farriers Tools" which is subtly different from saddler's, veterinary or medical tools.

In the good old days, any decent farrier was a skilled horse-doctor.

BugBear

 

[AndyT]

Armed with the plausible suggestion that this has some sort of agricultural or veterinary use, I did a bit of googling for "Long of London" and found the "Farmer's Magazine" for 1858. This has hundreds of pages of detailed reports, including a complete list of all the tools and appliances exhibited at the Salisbury agricultural show. Further reading shows references to Joseph Long of London who was inventor and seller of foot rot lotion and a special can for pouring it on and non-poisonous sheep-dressings. In the same paragraph is a reference to Oliver Long as maker of a patent press knife and fork cleaner (available in three sizes). It doesn't seem too much of a stretch to think that one of these ingenious makers would provide a graduated wotsit with a grippy end.

I bet the visitors to the show or the Farmer's Magazine journalists would have known what it was!

 

[GazPal]

The print is labelled "Farriers Tools" which is subtly different from saddler's, veterinary or medical tools.

Subtle, perhaps, but not altogether dis-jointed in terms of equipment used - past and present. Farriers were the fore-runners of what became known as veterinarians, as they dealt heavily with animal husbandry and medical treatment. A farrier's equipment may differ in terms of applied metalwork, but they still deal with the horse's physiology. My daughters are heavily into horse riding and know a darned sight more than I do on the topic, so I asked my middle daughter what she knows on the topic.

The tool in question is apparently a clamp used - in conjunction with the guillotine-like tool beneath it (In the advert) - during ye olden days for docking shire, clydesdale and other working horse's tails for the sake of hygiene and avoiding accidental damage to the tail. (Much the same as docking when carried on working dogs). The poker-like tool pictured above it - again in the advert - would be used to cauterize the resultant wound/wounds in general before applying tar to seal the open wound.

 

[toolsntat]

Gazpal, how the heck did ya find that one? 10/10 8)

It is obviously the tool above the tail docker and could well be used while cauterising the docked tail.
The scales on the arms is still a puzzler though?
Could it be linked to the tool above which looks like a tooth rasp?

What if it was for measuring and the cutting of say a leather gubbins for "dressing" after the event?

Must find the book that the plate is from :?:

Wish my google search thingy worked :evil:

Cheers
Andy

 

[GazPal]

Gazpal, how the heck did ya find that one? 10/10 8)

It is obviously the tool above the tail docker and could well be used while cauterising the docked tail.
The scales on the arms is still a puzzler though?
Could it be linked to the tool above which looks like a tooth rasp?

What if it was for measuring and the cutting of say a leather gubbins for "dressing" after the event?

Must find the book that the plate is from :?:

Wish my google search thingy worked :evil:

Cheers
Andy

Hi Andy,

Pure un-adulterated luck I had a gut feeling what it was - from a spell of time I spent working in a smithy/farrier's shop as a school boy - and got lucky when I googled farrier's tool kit pictures. The scale was/is apparently to measure for the location of the dock.