I found this in the woods and its got me scratchin my head?

[Giant056]

I found this in the woods and it's got me scratchin my head?

I was out metal detecting in the woods and came across this eyeball find and I'm sure it's part of some kind of tool but haven't found out yet. It could possibly be something for shoe repair but I haven't seen another one yet like this.

 

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[Diggit]

it looks like a form for stitching something.
Have you ever seen the cast iron forms shoemakers used to use? reminds me of that.

The style of the numbers says post 1950s to me.

 

[jrpoppapump]

tractor part maybe?

 

[Breezie]

It looks like a baby shoe lathe. Neat find Breezie

 

[Silver Searcher]

I agree some type of shoe horn, perhaps for the heel part of the shoe.

SS

 

[DirtyHowi]

looks more like an auto body dollie, most cobbler lathes i've seen have a hole in them to put them on the post thingy that sticks up out of the work bench. maybe with something that small they just held it in their hand. unsure on that one.

 

[vhs07]

DirtyHowi beat me to it. I've never seen a shoe form without a way to attach it to a bracket.

 

[salvage diver]

horshoe anvil, small horseshoes were used on long trips because they were light but often needed repair. its rounded for shape and the hole is to bend the ends inward so they didnt snag.
just a guess

 

[Jeff]

i agree with salvage member , sure looks like one ,that would be my guess to......

 

[ABruce]

The object appears to be made of cast iron and way too thin and light to be any sort of anvil and way too small for any kind of horseshoe anvil.

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

There's a reason why the oval part curves up. But I'm not sure what that reason is. Maybe to mold, form, or shape something. But mold, form, or shape what?

SBB

This should be close to actual size.

 

[ticm]

I don't see any evidence of hammer marks on the rounded part of that object.

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

I wonder if it might be an anvil hardy/hardie tool for bending and shaping things while the item to be shaped was red hot? I am not sure if there is a standard measurement for a hardy hole, but it might be worth looking into.

Below are some examples of the type of thing I am referring to.

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[SODABOTTLEBOB]

I did some checking and found the following regarding the size of hardy holes/tools. The re-sized picture I did of the object measures approximately 1 1/4"

The article below refers to some anvils as having a 1 3/16" hardy hole. But I'm not sure what types or how old of anvils he is referring to, and I have yet to find an example of one. Most of the info I'm seeing doesn't get into specifics like that. Maybe some manufacturer came along later and made a line of hardy tools to fit those 1 3/16" holes.

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anvilfire.com Blacksmithing FAQs Anvil Hardy Holes

"Many old anvils had fairly even sized hardy holes up to 1" (5/8, 3/4, 7/8) but over one inch were various odd sizes that no hardy tools have ever been made to fit. If you wanted a set of tools that fit that 1-3/16 hardy hole you made them."

Hardy for bending/shaping.

 

[ctalmadg]

I'm going with cobblers tool.

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

I actually like the shoe cobbler tool theory myself and not dismissing it. In fact, I started my search with that. But after looking at about 500 different variations of cobbler tools and not finding one that matched is when I switched to other possibilities like anvil hardies and the like. Just about the only item I have found so far that is similar is the tool in the front row below. At least it has the square upper part. But even that isn't right. So I honestly don't know what to think.

Below are an assortment of cobbler tools, about 99.9% of which have the slot/hole in the shoe part itself. But the object in question doesn't have a hole/slot. I suppose it could have fit into something square. But what? I haven't found one picture that is exact. If it is a cobbler's iron shoe, it is certainly for that of a child because of the small size.


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Examples of common cobbler's tools.



Various sizes from child to adult.