Turning tool, at least I think so.

[TRITON]

I'm quite sure its a hollowing tool
And what age do we reckon.
Picked this up years ago, part of a cellar conversion and there were a few old tools about which i was quick to snaffle for myself. I reckon its pretty old, couldnt say exactly how old though but fromt he way the socket has been made and the obvious join where the metal has been folded around, its quite clear its something like a blacksmith, rather than a big tool makers.

 

[dannyr]

I'm quite sure its a hollowing tool
And what age do we reckon.
Picked this up years ago, part of a cellar conversion and there were a few old tools about which i was quick to snaffle for myself. I reckon its pretty old, couldnt say exactly how old though but fromt he way the socket has been made and the obvious join where the metal has been folded around, its quite clear its something like a blacksmith, rather than a big tool makers.View attachment 117592View attachment 117593View attachment 117594View attachment 117595View attachment 117596

May be wrong, but I think you have something pretty special there.

Clog-makers (all-wood type, not leather upper type), used a chisel like that to hollow out the inner space for your foot (after boring it out roughly with an auger) -- it would have quite a long wooden handle, sometimes with a T on the end like a stubby version of a spade handle.

 

[Rorschach]

A hook turning tool shaped that like, used on a pole lathe, wouldn't have such a big cutting area. I think the suggestion above is more plausible, maybe not not clogs, but for awkward caring of some kind.

Of course there is the possibility it was a failed attempt at a turning tool.

 

[AESamuel]

May be wrong, but I think you have something pretty special there.

Clog-makers (all-wood type, not leather upper type), used a chisel like that to hollow out the inner space for your foot (after boring it out roughly with an auger) -- it would have quite a long wooden handle, sometimes with a T on the end like a stubby version of a spade handle.

I think you're right. If you do a Google images search for clog makers tools you see lots of examples of tools just like this.

 

[hodsdonr]

Have a look at the hook turning tools used by the Chinese/Japanese for turning the rice bowls , they use that hook shape for peeling/ hollowing of the bowls. Use on the softer woods , also used by the Scandinavian turners for turning birch spruce etc.
This video shows some typical use of hook tools

 

[Yorkieguy]

I doubt it was used for woodturning - way too thin and flimsy to be a 'hook tool' and the straight socketed part of the tool is 5" from its tip, so the tool-rest would need to be set too far back from the workpiece, with quite an overhang. That's the opposite of normal hollowing practices.

In fact given that the socketed part is ten inches long, that suggests that the tool would have had quite a long handle. I might be way off the mark but I don't really think it was a 'tool' with which to work wood at all. More likely to have been an 'implement' such as for harvesting apples without the need for a ladder.

Can't really tell from the pictures, but it doesn't look to have been honed to a cutting edge - just fashioned into a cranked hook.

Ooops - the videos of the Chinese rice bowl turning in softwood suggests otherwise!

 

[TRITON]

In fact given that the socketed part is ten inches long, that suggests that the tool would have had quite a long handle. I might be way off the mark but I don't really think it was a 'tool' with which to work wood at all. More likely to have been an 'implement' such as for harvesting apples without the need for a ladder.

The actual socket bit is about 5" not ten. In fact the depth of the socket is about 4"
Sockets imply force is applied inward, as were there any pull on it the handle would detach.
As to fruit harvesting, I thought a maybe, but googled it and all antique examples are to capture the fruit, rather than let it fall, which makes sense as the fruit would be bruised

There is a wood hollowing tool called a hook, and there are several examples of it being a thinned section being formed into a curl, but I cant find anything that matches completely, but they do share a similar form.
As to it being unhoned, I couldnt say for sure as it might never have been used, but the fine edge to it is sharp enough that it would cut spinning softwood, and i thought there maybe a pole lathe tool as mentioned in Rorschach's post.
Added pole lathe to the google search and there are very similar tools. The profile is also the same, flat on the reverse and the bevel is triangular on the other.

 

[boggy]

It is a rouanne de sabotier, AKA une langue de chat (Cat's tongue), used by a clogmaker to hollow the inside of a clog after opening the interior with an 'alesoir', a sort of side cutting bit.