Museum Artifact Id Needed

[DKinYORKpa]

HI all, my museum is currently culling duplicates of many objects. But before they are deaccessioned, we have actually know what they are. We're thinking that this device may be related to harness making, or shoes, or you name it. The two vertical arms move away from each other to hold something tight. Anyone recognize it? If someone needs more photos just ask! DENNIS

Edited November 27, 2012 by DKinYORKpa

[DKinYORKpa]

Here's another view, hopefully smaller

[shtoink]

It looks like a type of stitching pony to me. No idea what it was specifically used to make, but I think I have worked out how it was used.

What I am seeing is that the wedge in the corner is removed and center between the arms. The loop end of the rope is hooked around the sliding peg in the wedge and the rest of the rope passes through the pulley. It looks like the board sitting behind the wedge is actually a seat and the angled piece towards the back is a stop for the seat. I can't make out where the end of the rope is anchored to in order to keep tension on the arms, but it might be missing, obscured tied to your ankle when seated in it. It looks like that groove towards the front, between the arms is to accommodate excess hanging down inside.

Is there any other information you can provide? Maybe even a test with pictures of it to see if I was correct about my theory on how it was set up for use?

[DKinYORKpa]

I "see" what you mean. I'll verify that tomorrow and report back! THANKS-DENNIS

[DKinYORKpa]

OK, you're all wet . Just kidding. First, we've decided that it is laying on its back. Because when you stand it up, with the arms at the top facing you, the pedal at the bottom (worn from shoes, I think) is located just right. And the piece of rope inside clearly went to this pedal. When you pull on the rope, one arm moves away from the other(fixed) arm. The wedge that you see allows that piece of wood to be removed for replacing a strip of leather that goes to a "thumb screw" that allows the distance that the arms move apart to be set from about an 1/8" to almost a full inch. And now the big clue: on the top of the box, there is a lot of tar or pitch residue, I think, and the same stuff is on the inside of the arms. The outsides are clean. So what was being pulled apart? There are, though, empty square nail holes from something (a seat?) on the long sides towards the pedal. Could the box have been used in 2 positions?

[DoubleC]

It's a stitching horse I think with the seat gone. You can see a complete one here...http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=42241 Cheryl

[DKinYORKpa]

I don't think so. Our museum has several examples like that photo. We have so many, in fact, that we sent several to auction. Note that it holds something together to be stitched. The one that I have pictured holds something apart! And if you were looking straight at the 2 arms, there is a hole in the box right above the arms that allows something to go down into the box. I'm not saying that it isn't a stiching pony, but it's so different from yours that it must be different.

[TwinOaks]

If it's not a stitching horse, then I would guess that it's designed for wrapping thread/rope in a uniform coil . The 'arms' are held apart and the 'whatever-it-is' is wrapped around the arms. Then, the tension is removed from the arms, allowing them to collapse for easy removal of the coil.

Basically, an old school version of the thing used to wind wire off of a spool at Lowes/HomeDepot.

[DKinYORKpa]

Hmm....interesting. And the pitch (or whatever the hard, black substance is) that's built up on the inside of the arms and on the top of the box?

[dirtclod]

They used to put tar on the ropes of sailing ships. I guess it made them last longer.

[shtoink]

I wish I was able to look this over in person. I just feel like I am not getting the full picture with it and what it's purpose was. It clearly looks like a specialized stitching pony, but what for?

Does that board along the side come out and what does that wedge shaped part actually do?

What might the part sticking out at an angle do?

I have been staring at this thing and racking my brain trying to figure it out. One of the ideas I have is If it might be used for opening up the boot for putting in the decorative stitching or maybe the for holding the boots of a prosthetic limb. The issue with those ideas is the lack of clearance for your hands between the arms.

You can clearly see there is greater wear on the tip of one arm and it appears that is the same arm that gets moved more. The other thing that keeps drawing my eye to it is that large groove up the frame between the arms. Was there some sort of shuttle that needed that groove for clearance? Was is possible it was used for making some type of woven rope or other tube shaped thing?

[DKinYORKpa]

Does that board along the side come out and what does that wedge shaped part actually do?

When I removed the wedge, that tenoned piece slid out the outside of the box. With a little wiggling, the long piece of wood came out and it seems that it's only purpose is to hold the adjustable "thumbscrew" that has a strip of leather tied to it. The other end of the strip of leather is tied to the movable arm. This allows the the distance that the moveable arm is pulled away from the fixed arm to be controlled. The long piece of wood had no oxidation on the back side. Being removable allows the strip of leather to be replaced, I guess.

The other thing that keeps drawing my eye to it is that large groove up the frame between the arms. Was there some sort of shuttle that needed that groove for clearance?

This is key to figuring this out!

[robertmeco]

Could it be for resew the sole of a pair of boots :dunno: