Help With Determining Name Of These Tools

[HondoMan]

Right then, I've been slowing learning the art of leatherworking for about 19 months. I had a very limited number of tools (needles, scissors, hammer, pricking tool, knife) and was mostly doing repairs. For Christmas, my wife found an old Saddler's tool box with numerous old tools and this was my present. Quite nice! Some of the tools I easily recognized from watching various videos and Internet searches. Some of these tools have left me wondering what they are. Any help on the names and their use would be truly appreciated.

A

B

C

D

E

Thanks in advance!

[Thor]

A) looks like a part of an anvil, but can be used as and "Umbughammer"

B to D don't ring a bell.

E) looks like a very very old stationary for an electrical handheld planer. The red thing would be the safety guard.

[HondoMan]

Servus Thor, ja, echt kommisch. Gel? Alles war in den Werkzeugkoffer eingepackt. Ein Drücker Teil? Das Teil zieht als Sattlerwerkzeug lustig aus. I hob koa Ahnung!

Yes, quite silly. Everything was packed in the Saddler's toolbox. A printer part? This part in a tool box is rather odd. I have no idea. There are other tools as well and I'll photo them and post them too.

Thanks Thor!

[TinkerTailor]

I think B are irons for caulking wooden boats. They all look hand forged, and all have a point that has been hammered on. The blade is used to push in rope/fiber caulking between the boards. They needed different thicknesses for weird gap sizes in old boats.

C looks like it may be a shop made scraper of some kind. It is adjustable in some way by those shims, got a pic of the bottom?

D the left looks like it may be a machinists layout tool, used on a surface plate to mark elevations on a part. It could be valuable, and looks old. It may be a part of a bigger instrument.The thing on the right looks like a tiny hole punch or hole position marker. It is probably shop made

Btw, I am an amateur toolbox archaeologist......and I have seen quite a few boat/sail makers tool kits with leather tools in them and listed as either boat building supplies OR saddle supplies. Most just assume the profession the toolbox was used for was saddlery, however alot were not. Sail and net mending kits are listed as leather tools frequently. Bunch of weird awls and a grommet set do not make a leather toolkit. Makes a nice sail repair kit though.

I think you got a boat shop toolbox. The one in the corner with the leather tools in it for when they needed them. This would explain the planer parts. There is no room for the guide on the side of a boat. The planer would be used freehand.

What other tools were in it?

[HondoMan]

Hi TinkerTailor,

thanks for the response and ideas.

Here is another photo of all the tools...or most of them.

Here are some others...

1.

2.

3.

4.

There are also very, very large sewing needles. Large with a bloody handle! I agree this might have been used by someone who deals with sailing. There is a large lake nearby, but I rarely see a sailing boot.

[electrathon]

C is a trim knife carpet layers use when pushing carpet tight against a wall.

[HondoMan]

Thanks Electrathon.

[zuludog]

2 looks like an early adjustable spanner

4 could be a soldering iron, the type that is heated in a flame. Check that the tip is made from copper

[Thor]

Just a guess but I believe those are upholstery tools.

[HondoMan]

@zuludog, yes I believe it to also be an adjustable spanner. Number 4 has a hard metal end or tip and I don't think it to be copper. Plus it is quite long to be used for soldering I would think.

@Thor. Again, very helpful. I am thinking these tools were either for upholstery or someone working on sailing boot. But definitely not a Sattler...what is that in English? A Saddler or Sattlery Master? Sometimes English is easy and sometimes not. In English it's a pricking tool... in German...so many names (Locheisen, Reihenlocheisen, Zackeisen, uvm!) Urgh!

Thanks for the responses!

[Thor]

What you're thinking of would be a sailmaker.

Sattler = saddler

While the profession of the "Polsterer" derived from the saddler some centuries ago (17th century) I honestly don't know if there is a specific term and trade in the US other than upholsterer. Besides that, in Germany the profession of the upholsterer was combined to interior decorator ("Raumausstatter") in 1965 and doesn't exist as upholsterer anymore. So now they don't only do upholstery, but also carpet and linoleum flooring as well as wall and window decorations, sun screens and so on. Due to this I would assume that someone thought of the tools as being from a saddler, but they would actually be from a upholsterer/interior decorator.

Sometimes I would like to have a trade specific dictionary as the standard dictionary isn't very helpful many times and then again what has a certain name in England doesn't necessarily have the same name across North America. Same goes for the German speaking countries. Looking at south Germany where you and I are from, terms vary from one town to the other... So don't be too surprised

You will also have to understand that in Germany we divide the profession of the saddler into 3 main categories which are vehicle saddlery, equine saddlery and fine bag saddlery (translation may be inappropriate). How that relates to other countries I don't know. I don't know many saddle makers (which would be the same as the German equine saddlery) making fine bags besides their saddles and horse tack, simply because good saddle makers don't have to and are too busy making saddles. I would assume that in other countries there is some sort of specialization towards certain areas of the trade as well.

Hope this information helps.

[Colt W Knight]

A) looks like a part of an anvil, but can be used as and "Umbughammer"

B to D don't ring a bell.

E) looks like a very very old stationary for an electrical handheld planer. The red thing would be the safety guard.

My thoughts as well for A an E.

[HondoMan]

Seems I have found the answer to one item. Number 4 is a soldiering tool used by metal workers and is quite old - perhaps from the 1930s. Called a Lötkolben here in Germany. After cleaning the tip, discovered it's made of copper.

Still working on the remaining...

[HondoMan]

@Thor, you are correct on the planer item! It took quite some researching, but that is what it is used for. I could only find one that was similar called a Planer Bench Unit. Used to position the planer upside down. Excellent! Thank you!