Mystery Item...Rusty Gold or Trash?

[SDIceMan]

Hi all. Rusty mystery item here in desperate need of identification. It is about the size of a drawer knob, and quite heavy. The middle piece moves in and out, and the shape of the opening on the side made me think that it could be the top of a steam whistle or something like that. I apologize that I can't provide more of a context for the item, but the owner can't remember how or where he acquired it, so I am left with neither rhyme nor reason. Thanks!

 

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[Roger Mn.]

I'm just guessing but it could have been used to crush coffee beans and might be 150 plus years old.
Get some coffee beans and try it out.
Let us know how it works out.

 

[tamrock]

Maybe a old water system bleed valve of some kind. I can't find any other like it.

 

[Nitric]

I'm wondering if it isn't a very old blow off valve, or safety valve. Maybe even held in something with a spring pushing down on the top.

Is it threaded or have a hole in the bottom?

 

[Bruce R]

It looks like some sort of crimping tool, what would happen if you hold up the plunger, insert something all the way into the hole and then hit the plunger, maybe it puts a stamp on whatever was inserted in the hole ?

 

[tamrock]

It's the palm switch starer to my flying saucer and you have NO use for it, so just hand it over and there will be no trouble.

By the way does it have a threaded hole on the smaller bottom end ??

 

[Bruce R]

C'mon, stick something in there and hit it ! Don'tcha just hate it when someone puts up a post and then goes on vacation L.O.L.

 

[John Winter]

Gold doesn't rust ...

 

[Bruce R]

But gold finger ingot marking tools do.

 

[SDIceMan]

Sorry to all for the disappearing act! Great educated guesses and I'm anxious to get back over to the house to look at it more closely. Should have time tomorrow. I will look at the bottom to see if there is a hole and whether or not it is threaded, then update with that and any other pertinent info. Thank you guys.

 

[ARC]

Hmmm... mount and open your beers with it :P

 

[SDIceMan]

Can't really tell if the hole was ever threaded. Not obviously threaded now, but not quite smooth either. Thanks!

 

[Bruce R]

I don't know man, it sure looks like a tool that was hand held, feed a strip of cardboard through it and hit the plunger.

 

[Bruce R]

It may have even been for punching holes in leather straps

 

[DCMatt]

Single tree end with spring loaded tug fastener.

 

[Bruce R]

Will the plunger rotate, or only move up and down? Looking into the hole, it looks like there's a guide on each side to keep the plunger aligned.

 

[Bruce R]

I guess we'll never know, this thread seems to be a dead end.