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 What the heck is this?
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| Author | Topic: What the heck is this? |
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lolabear64 Posts: 8 |
posted 04-25-2005 04:05 PM
  
[26-0399] I was helping a friend sort through items at her mother's house and we found this thing. I have no idea what it is and neither does anyone else I've shown it to. Any ideas? We thought it might be some kind of serving piece but not sure. Thanks! ------------------ IP: Logged |
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salmoned Posts: 336 |
posted 04-25-2005 04:55 PM
I'm not sure I should be replying on this one, but it looks like a variation on the cake cutter. IP: Logged |
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FredZ Posts: 1070 |
posted 04-25-2005 05:51 PM
I have never seen one before.... The elite might want to carry this with them as they walk their pet..... (just kidding) Fred IP: Logged |
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jersey Posts: 1203 |
posted 04-25-2005 09:56 PM
Hi! Would you please check to see if there are any markings on the piece. Perhaps, if we knew the maker we could track down their items. Jersey IP: Logged |
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tmockait Posts: 963 |
posted 04-25-2005 10:49 PM
How large is it? It looks a bit like similar devices used for carding wool. Tom IP: Logged |
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Dale Posts: 2132 |
posted 04-26-2005 12:42 AM
I suspect it is used for sewing or knitting, a way of combing yarn. But what do I know, can't even sew on a button. Neat piece, wonder what it is for. IP: Logged |
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tmockait Posts: 963 |
posted 04-26-2005 07:36 AM
My wife spins her own yarn from wool and weaves, which is why I thought it might be a carding tool (device used for taking knots and, straw, etc. from raw wool) or something similar. Given the heavy use these implements get though, I am puzzled by why it would be made of silver. Marie Antoinette used to play at being a shepardess, perhaps she also carded with a silver tool! Tom IP: Logged |
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lolabear64 Posts: 8 |
posted 04-26-2005 08:22 AM
No markings other than a date of Nov 4 1879. It is 5" long. Thanks for all the responses. ------------------ IP: Logged |
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jemimamoon Posts: 8 |
posted 04-26-2005 11:46 AM
I agree with the theory of a cake serving piece. Wool hand carders are like big flat dog hair brushes. I have my great grand mothers carders. There is however a wool comb similar in look as the piece in question but...it is usually clamped to a table and the prongs are rather very sharp, longer and closer together than this. I have stuck myself a number of times. My vote is cake separator/serving piece IP: Logged |
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FredZ Posts: 1070 |
posted 04-26-2005 11:48 AM
On a more serious note from this member: Perhaps it was use to comb out the tassles on the floor rugs. A must for every Victorian home.... Fred [This message has been edited by FredZ (edited 04-26-2005).] IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 04-26-2005 12:11 PM
A lift for asparagus? IP: Logged |
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tmockait Posts: 963 |
posted 04-26-2005 12:49 PM
You are right about the carders, which I have also seen. The smal size would also rule that out. Still, I am inclined to think it was some sort of combing device. The slats look awefully thin for a cake slicer, but who knows at this point! IP: Logged |
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Kimo Posts: 1627 |
posted 04-26-2005 01:50 PM
Interesting "whatzit". I agree it is not likely a wool carder. I am also not favoring a cake server (hold it upright, slide the tines along the cut in the cake then lift) since the tines are first bent/curved back which would make it hard to slide between two slices. Asparagus server, or some other type of server for something long and narrow presented in a juice, liquid or sauce makes the most sense to me. IP: Logged |
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Kimo Posts: 1627 |
posted 04-26-2005 02:38 PM
Are the tines flattened at their ends, or are they round? If there are flattened that might argue for a serving piece designed to slide underneath some food. [This message has been edited by Kimo (edited 04-26-2005).] IP: Logged |
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lolabear64 Posts: 8 |
posted 04-26-2005 02:58 PM
The tines are rounded on the ends. These are some great ideas. Better than anyone else has given me. ------------------ IP: Logged |
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Patrick Vyvyan Posts: 640 |
posted 04-26-2005 03:31 PM
I may just have something here: an internet search for "Nov 4 1879" reveals: "Otto & Sons, F.C./64 Chatham, N.Y No. 3: Dr. Drescher's Paten Quackery Device." Unfortunately the photo is no longer in Yahoo's cache... So what is a Quackery Device? Elsewhere I read: "The first patented quackery device consisted of multiple metallic metal probes that supposedly "drew out" disease, called Perkins Tractors, patented in 1801" Now, multiple metal probes.....? Although, of course, it may simply be a device for scooping up and serving red herrings! [This message has been edited by Patrick Vyvyan (edited 04-26-2005).] IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 04-26-2005 05:11 PM
quote: "Quackery devices" are quack medical devices, popular in Vitorian times - devices used by untrained practitioners ("quack doctors") to cure or treat medical conditions based on unproven theories - in short, frauds. I doubt any would have been made of silver - and, besides, most were electrical. The patent date may be only coincidental, aince patents were only issued on certain dates, thus large groups of unrelated items may bear the same date. [This message has been edited by swarter (edited 04-26-2005).] IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 04-26-2005 05:48 PM
I have no idea what this was for, but it seems to me that the type of bend in the tines would be designed to increase their springiness, which favors the idea that they were intended to be drawn through something, whether it was wool or the icing on a cake. IP: Logged |
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tmockait Posts: 963 |
posted 04-26-2005 06:23 PM
I think we may have a dissertation here . . . IP: Logged |
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Mark Gustus Posts: 5 |
posted 04-26-2005 09:01 PM
A lady's dressing accessory. Used to comb out the fringe and tassles on clothes. The hole in the handle suggests it might be hung in the dressing room or wardrobe. Maybe part of a dresser set? IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 04-26-2005 10:57 PM
Well, somebody had to do it -- I just spent two hours going through the patents issued on 04 Nov 1879 and found this: An Improvement in Brush Cleaners by Anton Hopfen (The original can be found here) IP: Logged |
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lolabear64 Posts: 8 |
posted 04-26-2005 11:29 PM
Boy that sure looks like it. Thank you so much for doing all the research. You guys are great! ------------------ IP: Logged |
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Mark Gustus Posts: 5 |
posted 04-27-2005 09:29 AM
Wev, thank you for your research! IP: Logged |
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tmockait Posts: 963 |
posted 04-27-2005 10:31 AM
Thanks for the research! This was an interesting discussion! Tom IP: Logged |
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Snowchild Posts: 10 |
posted 05-02-2005 07:01 PM
What a great discussion has revolved around this piece. I am new to the board and though the last post on this topic was a few days ago, I thought I'd put my two cents in. Though the drawing looks very much like what you have there, I must disagree with the outcome of the discussion. The drawing implies that there are removable parts to this tool. The tool is also shown to have a wooden handle. Before reading the discussion that followed the original inquiry, I identified it as a "cake breaker". Based on the fact that it is ornate does not lead me to believe this would be a cleaning tool. If you look at some old silver or silverplate patterns on replacements.com, you will find some examples of cake breakers! On another note, what a great board. There seem to be lots of knowledgeable people here. I'm looking forward to learning and hopefully contributing as I learn more about silver! IP: Logged |
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lolabear64 Posts: 8 |
posted 05-02-2005 07:40 PM
I originally sent the pictures to replacements.com for help in identifying and they sent me here because they didn't know what it was. Maybe this will continue to be a mystery. ------------------ IP: Logged |
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carlaz Posts: 239 |
posted 05-03-2005 11:07 AM
I just want to thank this board for their amazing help on this item. This image was originally sent to us at Replacements and we were at a loss for what it could be. I suggested that the image be posted here and let the forum experts attempt to figure out what in the world this is and boy am I impressed! It is so nice to see that this board does work and is a great resource to the silver community! IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 05-03-2005 01:15 PM
quote: It is worth pointing out that this device was intended for hair brushes, not brushes in general, as can be gleaned form reading the specification page on the patent site. An ornate handle would be expected if it was to fit in with the dressing table sets coming into vogue at the time. The patent was filed for the tined device, not the design; the exact sort of handle used would have been of small importance. The inventor may have only intended to supply the working portion, leaving it up to the end manufacturer to add a handle of appropriate design. IP: Logged |
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Kimo Posts: 1627 |
posted 05-03-2005 05:34 PM
I agree absolutely with Wev, the patent even has the reverse bend in the tines. The example with the fancy handle would definitely fit in with the fancy dressing sets that included everything from hand mirrors, several kinds of brushes for hair and for clothes, combs, hair jars, button hooks, etc. etc. It would appear that the example that Lolabear has is missing the attachment that is shown in the patent. This is not surprising as it is over 100 years old and this part likely fell off or became damaged and was removed at some point in its life. IP: Logged |
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ahwt Posts: 2334 |
posted 05-03-2005 07:21 PM
The brush cleaner as shown in the patent has a moveable shield that operates to scrape the upper ends of the bristles as the tines pass through the brush. The hoped for result is that as the tines pull up hair to the top of the bristle, the shield would aid in removing the hair that would otherwise filter through the tines. Not all of the claims of the patent required this feature and that final product may have been offered for sale without the shield. It may also be that a shield did come with the product, but since it was detachable it was loss somewhere along the way. This invention is interesting as the inventor was using the shield to gather what the tines missed just as the second blade on a razor of today tries to cut what the first blade misses. AlternaTIFF provides a TIFF image viewer for use in viewing older patents at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. WEV great job in tracking that one down. IP: Logged |
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salmoned Posts: 336 |
posted 05-03-2005 10:03 PM
Tracking down the patent by date was a brilliant use of all available information. It seems beyond doubt Wev solved this "Whatzit" problem with remarkable flair! IP: Logged |
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