Spaceynate

I think you're onto something, bruce. With the rectangular hole possibly serving as an ear notcher, and the absent pruning type blade for docking tails. Very perceptive, I have never heard of this before... But always knew rings to be ineffective... Where my families from, you just let them run free... Before my time, before the chestnuts died. Jr... Too many if you ask me, yikes.

I suppose it may not be leather related at all. Lack of response leads me to believe that if no one on here knows, likely nobody knows.

So, I have lurked around this forum for a bit, and when I dug these out yesterday, decided it would be a good place for help. I don't often hit a brick wall, but I can find nothing about these... Not even sure what they are... My assumption being a strap cutter of sorts. So the threaded holes indicated in red held a straight blade, which was removed to sharped. It is profiled like the end of a butchers knife. The screw holes indicated in yellow, i dont know what was there, but assumed a curved blade, judging by the anvil. The oblong hole perplexes me, maybe the blade had a punch attached? Maybe it was none functional? The green circle is where a leaf spring broke off. The orange circle is where a threaded hole for gauging screw would have been, I believe. One orange circle indicated the flat spot on the handle across from the threaded hole. I had these cleaned very well some time ago, and saw no markings anywhere on them... Any ideas? Anyone KNOW? If not i would really appreciate any very old catalogs with leather working tools that i might scour. Thanks!