🔎 UNIDENTIFIED What is this item?

[chadkeath]

Thank you for any help you can shed on this item. I have no idea what it is or was used for. Had hand made rivets from copper. Any help os appreciated. I cant find my ruler but id say 18 inches long.

 

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[DizzyDigger]

Interesting item, no doubt. I look forward to hearing from someone who has a clue, 'cause I sure don't.

 

[robertk]

Just looks like a pair of tongs, made for picking up something with a lip (bottle, etc). Reminds me of something you would pluck canning jars out of a canner with. Maybe a bottling tool?

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

I reminds me of crucible tongs you pick up smelter pots with. Or blacksmith tools.

 

[scavenger1]

Looks like something to pick up a container filled with hot metal to pour into a mold... or maybe something to work glass possibly.

 

[Tpmetal]

Looks like something to pick up a container filled with hot metal to pour into a mold... or maybe something to work glass possibly.

I agree, some types of graphite crucibles have a lip and this could be used to pull it out of a small furnace. I have worked with a bunch of glass and don't immediately see how it would be used. Bottle lip tools usually have something in the center to keep the lip in shape when squeezing and the shape of the "lip" in this tool has no place to keep the end contained if that makes sense. Of course that doesn't mean it isn't some specialized tool for scientific glass or something. But my bet is for pulling crucibles.

 

[BullBat]

I don't see it's use being as crucible tongs. The whole tool seems way too light to go up against the temperatures of a furnace without deforming after prolonged use.

More than that, the way the holder portion of the tool is attached to the handles, it could only be used by lifting straight up or above the head. (Unless the holder swivels that I can't see in the images.) No one would ever hold molten liquid over their head and no one could stand over a heat source of that magnitude and lift straight up.

 

[Almy]

We used factory-made tongs similar to this to hold and move laboratory test tubes and flasks which had rolled-over lips. This looks like a hand-made version.

 

[Gare]

I would guess some type of lead mold