Author |
Topic  |
Ensign
Fireman
   
|
Posted - 08/12/2019 : 2:37:46 PM
|
Hi everyone, I got this interesting tool from my wife's 94 year old uncle's home, after he had recently passed away. I've never seen anything like it before. It does seem to have a makers mark right on the pivot point on one side of the plier. I can't really make out what it looks like though. I thought perhaps they may have been used in model ship building, or something like that. The pivot point also intrigues me, I can't see how they attached the 2 halves together. No metal or wooden pin going through both parts. You would think that if they glued the 2 halves together that it wouldn't move or work then. I can't seem to get the 2 sides even apart, to figure out how they did it. Without fear of accidentally breaking I, so I stopped trying to take it apart. Does anyone know anything about these unique wooden pliers, and just what they were used for?


Greg Shinnie
|
Country: Canada
| Posts: 8361 |
|
Dan
Engine Wiper
 
|
Posted - 08/12/2019 : 4:41:22 PM
|
Greetings,
I have seen similar "tools" except made of metal, most likely wrought iron. They also have a half lap hinge and no apparent pivot pin (it is there, just not easily seen). If the cross section of one of the jaws is C shaped and the other jaw is a matching round shape so they nest together then they may be a toy version of antique hair or wig curlers.
If the jaws are flat, like regular pliers, then I would go with a ship in a bottle tool explanation.
All the best,
Dan
|
|
Country:
| Posts: 152 |
 |
|
Michael Hohn
Fireman
   

|
Posted - 08/12/2019 : 5:46:03 PM
|
Does it come apart if you open it as far as you can?
|
|
Country: USA
| Posts: 5396 |
 |
|
Ensign
Fireman
   
|
Posted - 08/12/2019 : 6:10:53 PM
|
Dan & Mike, thanks for your posts.
The more I look at this thing, the more confused I am about how it was made. One of my friends thinks it all carved out of a single piece of wood. I would find that even more amazing! Anyways... I should have posted better detail photos of this wooden wonder, in the first place. So here they are now, first up what I think could be a makers mark. Looks like they possibly used a rubberstamp to apply it on the wood.

Now the next photos focus on the pivot point, this first photo shows how this pivot looks when the plier is wide open looking from the 2 handles. You can see how one side of the plier goes right through the other side. However either end of each half of this plier is bigger than the pivot point opening is. So how did they get them together?

This is how it looks from the needle nose end.

The jaws are both flat.

This is how the pivot point looks from the sides.

The person that made this, is truly a craftsman.
Greg
|
|
Country: Canada
| Posts: 8361 |
 |
|
deemery
Fireman
   
Premium Member

|
Posted - 08/12/2019 : 6:25:45 PM
|
Dig the toast out of the toaster without getting electrocuted? :-)
dave
|
Modeling 1890s (because the voices in my head told me to) |
|
Country: USA
| Posts: 7848 |
 |
|
Rick
Administrator
     
Premium Member

|
|
Ensign
Fireman
   
|
Posted - 08/12/2019 : 6:29:39 PM
|
Dave, that's really funny! Though they could work for that, if they were handy.
Greg
|
|
Country: Canada
| Posts: 8361 |
 |
|
Michael Hohn
Fireman
   

|
|
Michael Hohn
Fireman
   

|
Posted - 08/12/2019 : 6:32:07 PM
|
Rick beat me to the draw.
Here’s another video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LfAi0GhXwGo He makes it look like he’s cutting butter.
|
Edited by - Michael Hohn on 08/12/2019 6:37:04 PM |
|
Country: USA
| Posts: 5396 |
 |
|
Ensign
Fireman
   
|
Posted - 08/12/2019 : 6:35:25 PM
|
quote: Originally posted by Rick
Apparently it is carved from one piece of wood. Did a quick search and fornd this: https://makezine.com/2016/09/01/carve-pair-working-pliers-single-piece-wood/
Rick, thanks for posting that link for us, well I guess that answers that then! So it is made from one piece of wood. Amazing!
Greg
|
|
Country: Canada
| Posts: 8361 |
 |
|
Ensign
Fireman
   
|
Posted - 08/12/2019 : 6:36:18 PM
|
Mike, thanks for providing that link to that "How to video" on making wooden pliers.
They look a little crude, compared to the lovely curved handles and perfectly formed needle nose shape that this one that I have shown has.
Greg
|
Edited by - Ensign on 08/12/2019 7:20:02 PM |
|
Country: Canada
| Posts: 8361 |
 |
|
Orionvp17
Fireman
   
Premium Member
|
Posted - 08/12/2019 : 6:42:47 PM
|
Wow! Cool! 
Pete in Michigan
|
|
Country: USA
| Posts: 6783 |
 |
|
Michael Hohn
Fireman
   

|
Posted - 08/12/2019 : 7:35:08 PM
|
Yours are virtually a piece of art. Somebody had fun making them as well as a sense of design.
|
|
Country: USA
| Posts: 5396 |
 |
|
Orionvp17
Fireman
   
Premium Member
|
Posted - 08/12/2019 : 7:44:13 PM
|
quote: Originally posted by Michael Hohn
Yours are virtually a piece of art. Somebody had fun making them as well as a sense of design.
What Mike said!
Pete in Michigan
|
|
Country: USA
| Posts: 6783 |
 |
|
railman28
Fireman
   

|
Posted - 08/12/2019 : 8:43:10 PM
|
They remind of a pair of pliers my Dad used to retrieve swallowed fish hooks.
Bob
|
It's only make-believe
|
|
Country: USA
| Posts: 5261 |
 |
|
Ensign
Fireman
   
|
Posted - 08/12/2019 : 9:29:00 PM
|
quote: Originally posted by railman28
They remind of a pair of pliers my Dad used to retrieve swallowed fish hooks.
Bob
Bob, that is interesting! My wife's uncle liked to fish, so perhaps it's a fishing tool? I guess it would float in water, should you drop it while in a boat.
Greg
|
Edited by - Ensign on 08/12/2019 9:38:58 PM |
|
Country: Canada
| Posts: 8361 |
 |
|
Topic  |
|