Posted 11 years ago
Cbrownlg
(1 item)
Brass and wood
We don't know what this was used for. It is scissors like the heads are brass and flat. It looks like it used to press something together or as some kind of stamper.
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I have no idea, but I know I want one! Love it!
Sure looks like a bullet mold to me but you say the surfaces are flat. Maybe a bullet mold blank that hasn't been cut yet? What area did it come from? No markings?
Brother n law bought it and he has no idea what it is. When you squeeze the handles it put a lot of pressure on item between jaws. No markings on it. It might be a reproduction.
Then, "Me not no, mon". Maybe for setting soft rivets on considibbles?
Can't tell for sure from the pics.
Are there any signs of heat markings on the metal?
It looks like it does near the flat of the tongs but not sure.
Zaak
Candle snuffer?
I'm only guessing but maybe gripping pliers for stretching leather.
Hey, I like that Az. I'll vote for that. Actually, now that you brought it up, I think I have seen similar tools doing just that.
There are two possibilities on the intended use of these. Some believe it is for straightening or making flat pin curls in women's hair or on wigs. Another school of thought says that they were for pressing parts of clothing that were hard to do with a regular iron (ruffles & around buttons).
B'buss is very close with his bullet mould idea.
Dixie Gun Works bought these used wherever they could find them in their early years & sold them as bullet molds. They would machine them to your specs or sell them to you as is. They went on to produce their own line of bullet moulds.
I've got a DGW bullet mold that looks like this sans the wooden parts of the handles.
walksoftly,
Sounds like the authoritative answer.
Nicely done ty.
Sometimes us old guys have to think a few days on this stuff. I was telling my Grandson how plastic tubing was made and it hit me. We used a tool very similar to this when starting the tubing line up. After the plastic starting coming out the the die, you would grab it with these pliers and slowly pull it thought the cooling tanks to the puller, about 20 -30 feet down line. I don't remember what they looked like exactly but I remember the round flat head and being brass. All the tools used around the extruder tooling was either brass or copper.
I can't tell you that it what these are, I'm just saying.
AzTom, my attention span doesn't figure in "a few days". Now, what were we talking about?
I have one of these and don't know what it is. When I bought it, the seller called it Button Tongs and had a picture and title with that name that looked like it came from the internet but I've not been able to find the source. He thought it had something to do with silver smithing. The large flat heads could be to hold heat like a soldering iron. The wood handles would be for thermal insulation. I don't believe its an unfinished bullet mold.
@ rogerww
Read the last part of the first paragraph of comment # 9
i have one of these too, and i'm not convinced of any explanation so far. it's baffled me for years. i hope we can get a definitive answer.
AzTom has obviously done some extrusion work. I think these are a bit over size but quite similar in looks.
I vote for leather stretching tool. Teeth would leave a permanent mark on fresh or wet leather.
At the moment I'm thinking blacksmith or metal working tool.
All the bullet molds I've looked at look like it was repurposed from whatever it is.
And most all leather stretchers seem to be wider or toothed.
Zaak
PS Lots of others seeking the same answer, as most of my Google searches show more questions than answers.
Maybe a tool to work with molten glass?
These guys say it is a heat sink plier, used for soldering. Check:
http://www.boltsantiquetools.com/tool_lovers_club_tlc001-tlc0025.html
Scroll down to find it.
And this guy has a completely different story to tell:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-50s-Black-Hair-StraightTool-Bullet-Mold-Marked-DIXIE-T-Black-Americana-/271561364500?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f3a519414
As mentioned in comment #9 they had various purposes
scroll half way down to "Ivory Handle Curling Irons'
http://www.antiqbuyer.com/All_Archives/IRONS_ARCHIVE/spec_purp_arch.htm
perruquier (French wig maker) tools irons
http://libraries.mit.edu/exhibits/maihaugen/diderots-encyclopedie/wigmaking/perruquier-02/