Tool ID Help

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This topic contains 1 reply, has 2 voices, and was last updated by Joe Bottigliere Joe Bottigliere 3 years, 10 months ago.

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  • May 13, 2021 at 10:24 am #9158
    Bill Leonhardt
    Bill Leonhardt
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    Last weekend I spent time in antique stores in Delaware and saw some interesting tools. I picked this up thinking it was a narrow chisel I could use for veining (i.e. cleaning out narrow grooves). On close examination though, I see it has an unusual blade and I’m wondering what its original purpose was. Upon examination, here is what I observe:
    • The exposed blade is 4.5” and the tool is 8.8” long overall.
    • The “shaped” portion of the blade is pentagonal (5 sided) in cross-section.
    • The cross-section transitions to circular near the handle.
    • The blade is about 1/16” wide across the flats at the point and increases to about 1/8” before the circular transition.
    • The point is not very, well, pointy.
    • The handle and ferrule seem inexpensive.
    • I thought it might be a reamer, but the edges of the blade are not sharp.
    • The blade doesn’t seem to be modified in any way, so I’m guessing that its original use was “as is”.
    So, any thoughts on what this blade might have been used for?

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  • May 13, 2021 at 12:46 pm #9161
    Joe Bottigliere
    Joe Bottigliere
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    I can’t conform my suspicion, Bill, but to me it looks like a sort of “threading” tool for caning. As you point out, it’s not sharp enough to be a reamer. But if it dulled over the years, it could be a birdcage awl. It’s the right shape except what I have seen typically taper up to the handle. So I’m sticking with a caning tool until someone proves me wrong. 🙂

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