A new set has been posted on the web site:Rob

#2591 Does it have a thermostatic nature? Like on an emergencyfire-sprinkler system?#2592 A dead center for a lathe (providing a "quick release")?Bill

I agree that the inside jaws were probably meant to be a nut cracker. A few people have suggested that this tool is a can opener, one person specified it was for sardine tins, I think that can opener is correct and will have it as my answer until I find proof otherwise.Still not sure about the last item but the rest of the answers have been posted:

What is it? Set 446

S

Sonny 14 years ago

I don't have experience with bitters, as Uncle Jed may have had, but I do have a 4000+ count bottle collection (or a collection of bottles, depending on who you ask). I don't search or collect any more, as that was a hobby starting during high school days. My collection is mostly boxed and stashed away, now. Lots of interesting aspects of knowing and collecting bottles. Those times were fun.

Not too long ago, I gave some bottles to an elderly friend, whose 6' bottle tree was blown over by a storm.... the post had rotted at the bottom. I brought her a 15' long old sinker cypress, 5" top-8" bottom diameter log and fixed her up with lots of spikes for holding lots more bottles. Her lawn decor is really nice and she's delighted with her new bottle tree. ....Which reminds me, I'm due to go visit her.

And speaking of more bottles, today, I'm cleaning canning jars and doing other preps, for picking and canning figs and fig jam, tomorrow.

Sonny

Vote

R

Rob H. 14 years ago

I agree that the

formatting link

Vote

Z

Zz Yzx 14 years ago

How does one go about determining the age of a bottle?

-Zz

Vote

S

Sonny 14 years ago

Surely you jest, with a question as that? There are a number of ways, if the bottle, like the older Coca Cola bottles, doesn't have a date (and place of make) embossed (raised) on the bottom. Clear glass starts to turn blueish, after about 75 yrs, with exposure to UV light. Some old bottles are blown whole, whereas later bottles were made from molds.... 2 halves of the body, the top seperate and bottom seperate..... and you can see the seperate seams. Newest bottles are

2 halves only. Older Avon bottles are pretty special, ie., unique designs and designs are date specific. Makers change their design, so those changes are date specific. Makers go out of business (date specific). Businesses had bottles made specifically for them, and they no longer exist, so those bottles are date specific. All sorts of ways to determine age.

Sonny

Vote

D

DoN. Nichols 14 years ago

Hmm ... about that last item -- 2592. I've got another suggestion sort of related to my first opinion but which I did not write down as being particularly likely -- until I just considered some more features.

The eye in the bottom piece appears to be beveled from both sides. This suggests to me that a possible function for it would be:

It slides along the beam of a fairly heavy balance -- with a weight hanging from the eye. The sharp pin could fit into holes along the beam for fairly repeatable precision of locations, which would be multipliers for the weight added by the sliding device and whatever hangs from it.

Enjoy, DoN.

Vote

R

Rob H. 14 years ago

I didn't have much time in the past couple of days to research any of the guesses, but now after spending a few minutes looking around the web I think that flaring tool is correct for the last item in this week's set. Similar ones can be seen on these links:

formatting link

I changed my answer for this item and added the three links above to my site.

formatting link

Thanks, Rob

Vote

L

Leon Fisk 14 years ago

See if this picture/link looks the same or not:

formatting link

Per that image/site, it is suppose to be a can opener, nutcracker like others have speculated from 1877...

Vote

R

Rob H. 14 years ago

formatting link

Thanks, I'll pass that link on to the owner of the tool.

Vote

S

Stormin Mormon 14 years ago

I'm disappointed, I didn't get the flaring tool. I own two sets of the modern kind. That did look like the single flare device, but I didn't make the mental connection.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

formatting link

.

formatting link

Vote

D

DoN. Nichols 14 years ago

formatting link

While it is at "

formatting link

", the text identifying it (above the photo, not in the photo) says "Shearer or Snip", which is closer to what I was suggesting for the end jaws. Certainly the upper of the two looks pretty close to what you had up there. The lower one does not have the projections for the auto-opening spring.

Enjoy, DoN.

Vote

L

Leon Fisk 14 years ago

formatting link

>

Thought you might find this particular patent of interest here:

formatting link

"IMPROVEMENT IN CAN-OPENERS Patent number: 191416 Filing date: Apr 21, 1877 Issue date: May 29, 1877"

Vote

What is it? Set 446

Join the Discussion

Didn't find your answer?