Old Hide Scale???

[Lwalker]

Hello,
Would love your thoughts identifying what this handmade wood object is and it’s approximate age. We bought at an antique market outside of Cincinnati (seller picked it up at an Indiana barn sale but didn’t know what it was.) it’s carved from one piece of hickory (?), 27” long with crude marks And old nails along the pole, a hook at one end and a heavy weight embedded into the large end and a horseshoe with a cord that slides up & down the pole. Could it be a fur trader’s hide scale or something from a pioneer trading post? Or something else Value?
Thanks in advance. - Linda

 

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[terrafirma]

I would agree with the scale I.D.
Have you tried to hang it and check how much weight lines up with the marks?
It might give another clue to it's purpose....

 

[creskol]

if it is a scale, it is built with repurposed components.

 

[Plug N Play]

Kryddbesman

 

[Lwalker]

Hello and thank you. We haven’t tried that but will do.

 

[Lwalker]

Hello and thanks for your quick reply. Question - what do you mean by “repurposed components?” The pole and the end with the weight in it looks like it’s all one piece. The hook looks like the kind found on buffalo hide scales. Definitely a handmade object.

 

[Plug N Play]

 

[Tony in SC]

Nice old piece!! It is made to work the same as the very first steelyards. Instead of having an adjustable "pea" you move the beam to balance it.

 

[CRUSADER]

Yeap, a variant on a steelyard weight.

 

[Lwalker]

Thank you for your information. How old do you think it is? I think the part that moves on the pole could be made of animal sinew. It was found in an old barn near Decatur Indiana (NE). Fort Greenville, a trading post named Loramore’s Store, and the Wabash River are close by. I’m wondering if it was made by an Indian (Shawnee were in that area) or perhaps used at the trading post to weigh hides. Maybe it’s none of those (LOL)

Linda

 

[Lwalker]

Thank you!

 

[Plug N Play]

Thank you for your information. How old do you think it is? I think the part that moves on the pole could be made of animal sinew. It was found in an old barn near Decatur Indiana (NE). Fort Greenville, a trading post named Loramore’s Store, and the Wabash River are close by. I’m wondering if it was made by an Indian (Shawnee were in that area) or perhaps used at the trading post to weigh hides. Maybe it’s none of those (LOL)

Linda

You think the Shawnee were Scandinavian ?
Hey, I have an idea ...

" Kryddbesman "

 

[Lwalker]

Kryddbesman old scale

Hello,
I just saw your post with the photos with your “Scandinavian” comment. Can you explain further please?
Thank you so much!
Linda

 

[cw0909]

spice besman/Ett kryddbesman

you will have to google translate this site to english
unless you can read Swedish.the site speaks about figuring
out the marks/pins by what each mark/pin weight was, to
determine when made
A spice besman/Ett kryddbesman
https://sonesgarden.se/Gamla_prylar/Kryddbesman/Kryddbesman.html

translator
Google Translate Web - iTools

maybe this link will work, the translated webpage
https://translate.google.com/transl....se/Gamla_prylar/Kryddbesman/Kryddbesman.html

 

[Lwalker]

Thank you so much! Now I’m wondering how old my spice scale is as well as how valuable it could be. Any ideas where I can look for that information?

Thank you again!!! Linda W