what is it for?

[Benchwayze]

Not a fid. A fid is conical in shape; or at least the ones I've seen always were.
I think it's some kind of dolly, for lead-work, and might be a plumber's tool. Never found one in Father-in-law's tool bag though. :-k

 

[n0legs]

Swageing tool for lead pipe, I think.

 

[Slinger]

Most fids are conical when used by sailmakers (mainly for rope work), but some fids were this shape as used in the nettings of sailing craft.
Slinger

 

[Grahamshed]

Oh you lot are ignorant.
its a double ended whatjamacallit.

 

[Otto]

French rolling pin, for making croissants and other froggy stuff.

 

[Spindle]

Hi

I've seen something like this on one of those programs about pastimes of yesteryear - I think it was played in the north of England but I can't find a reference to the UK game online. However here's a link to the same game as played in Pakistan.

http://www.dostpakistan.pk/gulli-danda/

As it's made of pine I find it hard to believe that it could be any form of percussion tool.

Regards Mick

 

[RogerP]

Looks very much like that Gulli stick!

 

[Benchwayze]

Hi

I've seen something like this on one of those programs about pastimes of yesteryear - I think it was played in the north of England but I can't find a reference to the UK game online. However here's a link to the same game as played in Pakistan.

http://www.dostpakistan.pk/gulli-danda/

As it's made of pine I find it hard to believe that it could be any form of percussion tool.

Regards Mick

Mick,

I think the game you refer to is 'Tip-Cat', but the missile for that had sharpened, conical ends.
The idea was to place it on the floor; whack the conical end with a stick, to make the 'tip-cat' jump in the air. Whilst the tip-cat was still spinning, the challenge was to whack it again and send it on its way. Quite difficult in fact. Yes, the link explains the game, so I wasted my typing!!! :mrgreen: When we used to play it, the idea was to see how far you could send the missile. Not unnaturally, it was illegal to play this game in the streets. I suppose the item pictured could be used as a tip-cat, but if it is for a game, then might it be a singleton skittle, from table-skittles? :?: (Nah.. Too long and thin and too soft!)

 

[finneyb]

Antique wooden rolling pin?
And you can buy another on ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/37101678 ... 80&ff14=95

Brian

 

[Grahamshed]

Antique wooden rolling pin?
And you can buy another on ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/37101678 ... 80&ff14=95

Brian

I would go for that. A pair of whatjamacallits are always worth more than a single one. They might even be handed.

 

[AndyT]

I happened to be looking in my copy of the "Dictionary of American Hand Tools: A Pictorial Synopsis" by Alvin Sellens when I found this, raising the possibility that your stick might indeed be a leather worker's tool after all:

 

[bugbear]

There have been many interesting suggestions in this thread, but
they all seem to fall at the hurdle that the actual object is made from
pine.

BugBear

 

[AndyT]

There have been many interesting suggestions in this thread, but
they all seem to fall at the hurdle that the actual object is made from
pine.

BugBear

True, and I know the book says hardwood, so it's only a suggestion, but it seems more likely than the lead pipe tools which had to be made of box or lignum vitae.

Perhaps I'm talking a load of old cobblers when I should be interviewing them... :wink:

 

[deserter]

Not sure what they're called but it looks to me like one of the things they use to push the ends of rope through itself when splicing the ends.

Sent from my D5503 using Tapatalk

 

[Richard863]

Hi
A well used sea mans rope splicing spike before the advent of metal tipped spikes early 1900s isn

 

[Otto]

There have been many interesting suggestions in this thread, but
they all seem to fall at the hurdle that the actual object is made from
pine.

BugBear

Maybe an economy version of whatever it is?

 

[Sheffield Tony]

At a craft fair once someone asked for a pasta rolling pin, which was made to his description and looked rather like a slightly more slender and longer version of this item.

It surely would work as a rolling pin, but I'd hold back from using it until I was sure what it was originally intended for :lol:

It isn't anything to do with a pole lathe I'm sure, and it would make a lousy dibber.

 

[graduate_owner]

No no no !!
You are all missing the point completely. You all want to attribute some sort of useful purpose to it.

What's happened here is some mischevious character from about 100 years ago has made this completely useless thing deliberately to cause this sort of confusion. If I believed in an afterlife I'd say he's probably looking down now and smirking, rubbing his spectral hands with glee and wondering how many more people he can fool with this.

K

 

[RogerP]

From all the suggestions it seems it's the original multi-purpose tool!

 

[bugbear]

At a craft fair once someone asked for a pasta rolling pin, which was made to his description and looked rather like a slightly more slender and longer version of this item.

Yep - quite normal;

http://www.souschef.co.uk/tapered-rolling-pin.html

BugBear