Brass Find from a CW era Site got me puzzled

[BuckleBoy]

Hello all,

I was wondering if any of you might know what this is. It is a little over an inch long and made of brass.



Thanks for your help,

Buck

 

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[VERDE]

Hey Buck!! Is it Brass or Copper?? VERDE!!

 

[sideshowbob]

Reminds me of the thumb lever part of a door handle. Just a guess though

 

[DigIron2]

looks like something that would be pushed down with the thumb to pop a top or open a lid from something without having to use the other hand?For example, like one of those German beer steins

 

[BuckleBoy]

Hey Buck!! Is it Brass or Copper?? VERDE!!

It is brass.

 

[BuckleBoy]

There was a non-threaded hole in the end I am holding in the photos.

 

[Mud Hut]

Looks like a key from an over-the-shoulder saxhorn

 

[Breezie]

I agree with SSBob; it looks like a thumb lever to a door.

Interesting find
Breezie

 

[BuckleBoy]

Is that a thumb lever that locks a door? Or that opens one?

 

[Breezie]

Is that a thumb lever that locks a door? Or that opens one?

W, it looks like a thumb plate that would open a door. When I was a kid, our front door had a large brass door assembly, and the thumb area to open the door looked almost identical to yours. The modern ones made today are less 'spoon-like. Do yours fit your thumb?


Breezie

 

[FreeBirdTim]

I have a similar one on my cellar door, except my lever is one long piece. Mine is iron, but I painted it brass color to make it look better.

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

Being that it has a non threaded hole in it,that would say it was attached to another lever,my point being most door thumb latches were long levers that lifted the latch out of a slot and being as short as this is I don't think it was a door latch.Not sure what it is though.The beer stein idea would have a short lever like this or some sort of container might have a closed spout that this would have opened to pour something out.

 

[BuckleBoy]

W, it looks like a thumb plate that would open a door. When I was a kid, our front door had a large brass door assembly, and the thumb area to open the door looked almost identical to yours. The modern ones made today are less 'spoon-like. Do yours fit your thumb?


Breezie

Yes it does fit my thumb.

I had a friend PM me and say he thought it might be a powder flask piece, which many do look close. Anyone got the Powder Flask book? I unfortunately don't own a copy.

 

[Breezie]

I don't have any powder horn books, but did look online, but couldn't find anything similar to what you have. I did; however, come up with 2 more ideas: a Victorian mechanical door bell and a brass silent butler. Although the pics below are not identical to your find, the principle is the same.





Breezie

 

[trikikiwi]

One thought was a flush button for a toilet cistern, but I haven't been able to find an older example.

 

[nhbenz]

I'd thought of a lever cap from a wood plane, but searched a bunch and couldn't find a match there either.

 

[huntsman53]

Yes it does fit my thumb.

I had a friend PM me and say he thought it might be a powder flask piece, which many do look close. Anyone got the Powder Flask book? I unfortunately don't own a copy.

I am sure others and especially the experts will agree, that it is not a thumb lever from a powder flask. It is too large and besides most of these were ribbed like a cocking hammer on a rifle, shotgun or revolver to give non-slip grip.


Frank

 

[Bum Luck]

I'll go with the latch theory. You don't have enough from a stein to hold beer anyway!

 

[BuckleBoy]

I am sure others and especially the experts will agree, that it is not a thumb lever from a powder flask. It is too large and besides most of these were ribbed like a cocking hammer on a rifle, shotgun or revolver to give non-slip grip.


Frank

I've never seen a ribbed one. Got any photos of examples?

 

[AU Seeker]

I have installed 1000's of pieces of door hardware, and I agree with some of the other posters that this possibly came off a door escutcheon, if so it would of been on a "dummy" door set, which would go on the non-active door in a double door setup, a thumb lever dummy door hardware wouldn't have the long lever that activates the mechanism that would be on an active hardware set, but instead have a short arm such as the one you have where it would be permanently attached to the escutcheon.