Hello from Hazard!
Clark Colby, North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, sent us a “better late than never” email response to clarify any mystery about Item No. 1100.
You might remember Marcus Hunt Jr. told us it was a leather working vise mostly used for harness work, and Colby agrees that it is “almost certainly a lever-operated vise from a harness maker’s bench.”
He explains its use: “The vise was mounted with the right end pointed vertically up. The tenon on the left end fit in to a mortise on the bench upon which the craftsman sat. Moving the hand lever from the vertical position to the horizontal position forces the two wooden vise jaws together, clamping two pieces of leather together in preparation for hand-sewing them.”
He adds there is “a remote possibility that this item is the vise from a broom-making machine, but the clamping end does not appear to be shaped correctly for this application.”
Awesome job, Marcus and Clark, for solving the mystery item submitted by Vince Karolewics, of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, (and to Vince for sending it to us!)
Item No. 1101 comes from David Gerrick, of Lorain, Ohio, who writes, “I come to you from the field of biomedical engineering with this one. Three of these [pins] appeared ‘magically’ in my junk drawer. I work with nuts, bolts, wires and pumps, but I’m stumped by this simple little pin.”
He attached the ribbon to keep track of the pin, so don’t let it be part of your musings.
Does anyone know how this pin might’ve been used? Email us at editorial@farmanddairy.com; or respond by mail to: Hazard a Guess, c/o Farm and Dairy, P.O. Box 38, Salem, OH 44460.
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The item #1101 is a poultry closure lacing pin to hold stuffing in a roasting fowl. You put stuffing in bird, insert the pin across opening and crisscross string across the needles. I have several of these and they work great for roasting turkey. also quick removal.
Item #1101 looks like an eye needle used in making jewelry. The beads are strung and then a loop is made at the end to secure the bead or beads. The number of times you wrap the wire is a personal preference.
my mother uses these to make baked potatoes. she puts them long ways threw the potato and the heat is distributed threw out it to cook the center.