# Identify this antique wooden household object **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2016, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675 "2016-10-16T02:10:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675/41 "2016-10-17T04:45:06Z")
Home-made dildo. Double-ended, for use with a friend. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675/42 "2016-10-17T05:13:56Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > “about 6 inches end-to-end” > > Right there in the first post. :smack: You know, I’m not doing so well without coffee these days… ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675/43 "2016-10-17T15:39:07Z")
The posts that connect the acorn tops to the square - are they round or square? The part that’s visible seems as though it may have been round but a chunk splintered off. Otherwise, someone went through a lot of trouble to make those smaller posts square, when rounding on a lathe would have been the easiest way to make them… suggesting this has a reason. Square stems would suggest it slid into a paired fork specifically so it did not turn. It sure looks like it resembles some of the parts of this contraption: [![](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinning_wheel#/media/File:Elderlyspinnera.jpg) ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinning_wheel#/media/File:Elderlyspinnera.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675/44 "2016-10-17T17:53:15Z")
Upon closer inspection, the square part in the center is beveled at the corners. That suggests to me that this object had a former life as a table leg or chair leg. That makes me incline more toward the idea that it was made by someone playing around with a lathe. To answer questions, the rough parts connecting the acorns to the center are squared off. Looks like that part was carved down by hand. You’re right, it is curious that those connecting segments would be squared off rather than rounded. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675/45 "2016-10-17T17:59:25Z")
Oh, and the acorns don’t unscrew. It’s all just one solid piece. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675/46 "2016-10-17T20:01:54Z")
I don’t know about the object in question, but the next photo in your album is a ball point pen and a piece of broken flint. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![igor\_frankensteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/839c29/32.png) [@igor\_frankensteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/igor_frankensteen)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675/47 "2016-10-18T03:15:32Z")
The only thing that comes to mind for me, would be an article of clothing-like item. People once used solid objects to simultaneously decorate, and fasten things like sashes and ropes, to hold clothing in place, for either people, or furniture. This could be one of those decorative tie-points, sort of like a large wooden button. The cloth or rope would be wrapped around and over the unfinished part in the middle, and the rough square part would serve to provide locking friction to keep the cloth in place. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675/48 "2016-10-18T10:40:34Z")
It appears to be to be for tying curtains (and similar) up without knots, and not being in anyway tricky or dangerous. The cord is simply wrapped around the narrow bits… As long as there is sufficient loose end left hanging, the cord doesn’t easily come off the spindle. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675/49 "2016-10-18T12:09:10Z")
It’s a pair of finials shaped together on a lathe and never seperated into two pieces. Except that would be an odd what to construct such a thing. So maybe it was done intentionally to wrap cords, thread, or yarn around, or something like that.Possibly, for no known practical reason it is a double ended door handle. Most likely nothing but an finished piece turned on a lathe. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675/50 "2016-10-18T12:14:02Z")
Except that it has had a proper wood finish applied, and applied quite selectively. This is partly why I would like to see the edges of the square inner block. I think there are some clues there. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675/51 "2016-10-18T12:21:19Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Possibly, for no known practical reason it is a double ended door handle. How would this be installed in a door? The hole in the door would have to be as big as the knob to get it through, then the hole is too big to affix the middle piece to the door. That won’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675/52 "2016-10-18T12:23:08Z")
Could it have been part of a display of curtain rail finial options? I’ve often seen these displayed together in mirrored pairs - I think it probably helps people visualise what they will look like on the ends of the rails. Obviously these are not complete finials, but this could have been a component of a display of options - something like (but not exactly the same as) this: [https://goo.gl/images/k84RW9](https://goo.gl/images/k84RW9) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675/53 "2016-10-18T12:57:09Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > How would this be installed in a door? The hole in the door would have to be as big as the knob to get it through, then the hole is too big to affix the middle piece to the door. That won’t work. The middle piece is larger than the ends. If you were doing this for some reason, and I can’t think of a good one, you’d be fitting the square piece into a cutout in the door of the same size. I can’t imagine any good reason to do that. But having seen the way a lot of old houses were constructed nothing much surprises me anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675/54 "2016-10-18T13:27:40Z")
I betting it is the bearing of a spinning wheel. The pointed ends fit into sockets of the arms holding the wheel, and the square middle fits into the hub of the wheel that attaches to the spokes. If not a spinning wheel, then some other light duty device that requires a bearing to turn. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675/55 "2016-10-18T21:42:41Z")
> [@purplehearingaid](#): > > Maybe it for knitting woolen socks ??? I’ve knitted and crocheted woolen socks and this isn’t something that I could see being used in the process. ---
**Author:** ![Oddball\_92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b3f665/32.png) [@Oddball\_92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oddball_92)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675/56 "2016-10-18T23:04:15Z")
Are you sure it does not come apart? It might be an antique sewing kit that is hollow in the middle with a friction fit. Look up antique acorn sewing kit. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675/57 "2016-10-18T23:22:54Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I betting it is the bearing of a spinning wheel. The pointed ends fit into sockets of the arms holding the wheel, and the square middle fits into the hub of the wheel that attaches to the spokes. If not a spinning wheel, then some other light duty device that requires a bearing to turn. I suppose that is possible, but there’s no need for the large acorn shapes and the little nubs on the end don’t look like very good axles for something that has a hub that large. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675/58 "2016-10-18T23:26:58Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I suppose that is possible, but there’s no need for the large acorn shapes and the little nubs on the end don’t look like very good axles for something that has a hub that large. If you want a lightweight wheel to spin freely, the bearing needs to be a small as possible to reduce friction. The acorn shapes are just decorative, as were many spinning wheels back in the day. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675/59 "2016-10-18T23:32:34Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > If you want a lightweight wheel to spin freely, the bearing needs to be a small as possible to reduce friction. The acorn shapes are just decorative, as were many spinning wheels back in the day. But what you describe is not a lightweight wheel. That axle alone is very heavy, as would be the hub that holds it. That indicates to me the wheel it holds is none too light either. But it’s possible. ETA: You may be getting close though. Possibly that’s some kind of double bobbin for a weaving machine, although I don’t see the point of the square piece in the middle. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675/60 "2016-10-18T23:41:40Z")
One thing I noticed that seems rather odd is that the stems connecting the acorns to the central block have also been squared off. I wonder if the stems can be unscrewed from the center block with a wrench, to reveal some interior structure. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-antique-wooden-household-object/768675.md?page=4)