What is this?

[Brianm77]

I recently bought  a lot of hardware from a closed down saddle shop.   I have sorted through most of it.  Thrown away the trash, sorted out the buckles and such.   There were a lot of buckles, rings, clasps, a few corner pieces for say a briefcase.   There were a lot of these little guys and for some reason it intrigues me.  I would like to see if someone can tell me what these are and what they are for

[mikesc]

Could they be for putting onto the end of square cut laces , or some other small cross-section square cut leather strips..like a sort of "aglet" but for larger cross-section laces or straps..They look like the split part would / could be crimped / squeezed/hammered down into the leather ( maybe ? ) and the "tip" of the leather rammed into the pointed part, which would then be crimped or squeezed, or even hammered down into the leather to hold it..The leather strap ends might be pointed to fit , to follow the triangular part into a point..

Or..it might be nothing like that at all..

[Sheilajeanne]

I think they are the end clasps for English riding reins. The end of the rein goes around the bit, then this clasp hooks into a slot in the rein.

Maybe a more experienced tack making person can confirm this?  Or maybe I can find just where I put my bridle, which I haven't used in about 20 years, and check to be sure... 

 

Edit: I found a picture of the bridle part I was thinking of, and it's not the same: https://www.google.com/search?q=hook+stud+ends+for+reins&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjE7oXlmLzhAhXFmq0KHXe-AtcQsAR6BAgJEAE&biw=1236&bih=606#imgrc=oT7TiDAZ94u0JM:

(Just FYI, it's called a hook stud.)

Oh well....

Edited April 6, 2019 by Sheilajeanne

[Brianm77]

I think these are awful dainty to be part of some horse tack.  The overall size of these is very small and he metal is rather thin.   They  strick me as something for some kind of purse hardware or something