# What is this antique metal tool? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 20, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-antique-metal-tool/622536 "2012-05-20T19:59:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![longlive58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dc4da7/32.png) [@longlive58](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/longlive58)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-antique-metal-tool/622536/1 "2012-05-20T19:59:38Z")
What is this? I got it in box from a storage unit from ‘93. It was in a box of mostly antique stuff, yet it was one of the few things actually wrapped up. [![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4c6zd7iKr1qh8daio1_500.jpg) ](https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4c6zd7iKr1qh8daio1_500.jpg) [![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4c6z6AU2C1qh8daio1_500.jpg) ](https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4c6z6AU2C1qh8daio1_500.jpg) [![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4c6yrao2j1qh8daio1_500.jpg) ](https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4c6yrao2j1qh8daio1_500.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Sasquatch\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8491ac/32.png) [@Sasquatch\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sasquatch_1)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-antique-metal-tool/622536/2 "2012-05-20T20:03:08Z")
Tooth off a sickle mower. Hay cutter in other words. edit: From the string, looks like someone was using it as a plumb bob. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-antique-metal-tool/622536/3 "2012-05-20T21:04:57Z")
Googling sickle mower images, that doesn’t really look like a tooth from one, it looks too big. Possibly a tip from some kind of fishing harpoon, or a tent peg. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-antique-metal-tool/622536/4 "2012-05-20T21:14:30Z")
> [@longlive58](#): > > What is this? I got it in box from a storage unit from ‘93. It was in a box of mostly antique stuff, yet it was one of the few things actually wrapped up. Barry Weiss, is that you? ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-antique-metal-tool/622536/5 "2012-05-20T22:23:32Z")
The string leads me to believe it is a bricklayer’s line. Here [are some](http://www.buysend.com/product/8425/250ft-builders-brick-laying-string-plumb-line-measure/) [modern ones](http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50m-BRICK-LAYING-LINE-NYLON-STRING-REEL-BUILDER-GARDEN-/160782877852?_trksid=p4340.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DDLSL%252BSIC.NPJS%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BUA%26otn%3D10%26pmod%3D160696267366%252B160696267366%26po%3D%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D8558354749708547454) ---
**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:** [May 20, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-antique-metal-tool/622536/6 "2012-05-20T22:56:11Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > The string leads me to believe it is a bricklayer’s line. Here [are some](http://www.buysend.com/product/8425/250ft-builders-brick-laying-string-plumb-line-measure/) [modern ones](http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50m-BRICK-LAYING-LINE-NYLON-STRING-REEL-BUILDER-GARDEN-/160782877852?_trksid=p4340.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DDLSL%252BSIC.NPJS%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BUA%26otn%3D10%26pmod%3D160696267366%252B160696267366%26po%3D%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D8558354749708547454) I thought it might be a plumb bob, but looking at the 3rd pic in the OP it does look like a mason’s line. ---
**Author:** ![Sasquatch\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8491ac/32.png) [@Sasquatch\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sasquatch_1)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-antique-metal-tool/622536/7 "2012-05-20T23:22:53Z")
I’ve put on plenty of them on 80 year old farm equipment, I guess I could have included a reference. If I wasn’t on the wrong side of the world, I could go grab one off the junk pile, heh. Here is a more modern version: [http://qualityfarmsupply.com/products/single-prong-malleable-rock-guard](http://qualityfarmsupply.com/products/single-prong-malleable-rock-guard) Not the exact brand, but you get the idea. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-antique-metal-tool/622536/8 "2012-05-20T23:33:11Z")
Damn, I thought you were just throwing out a guess. You nailed it in 4 minutes. Obscure specialized knowledge of antique farm equipment, who knew? ---
**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:** [May 20, 2012, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-antique-metal-tool/622536/9 "2012-05-20T23:34:32Z")
> [@Sasquatch](#): > > I’ve put on plenty of them on 80 year old farm equipment, I guess I could have included a reference. If I wasn’t on the wrong side of the world, I could go grab one off the junk pile, heh. Here is a more modern version: > [Tractor Parts & Ag Implement Parts - Quality Farm Supply](http://qualityfarmsupply.com/products/single-prong-malleable-rock-guard) > > Not the exact brand, but you get the idea. That picture is very convincing. I guess it could have other uses, but it looks very much like your picture. ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-antique-metal-tool/622536/10 "2012-05-20T23:55:40Z")
What exactly does this do? ---
**Author:** ![longlive58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dc4da7/32.png) [@longlive58](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/longlive58)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-antique-metal-tool/622536/11 "2012-05-21T00:41:23Z")
> [@Sasquatch](#): > > I’ve put on plenty of them on 80 year old farm equipment, I guess I could have included a reference. If I wasn’t on the wrong side of the world, I could go grab one off the junk pile, heh. Here is a more modern version: > [Tractor Parts & Ag Implement Parts - Quality Farm Supply](http://qualityfarmsupply.com/products/single-prong-malleable-rock-guard) > > Not the exact brand, but you get the idea. That look EXACTLY like it. Thank you so much, and thank you ALL of you for your help! ---
**Author:** ![longlive58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dc4da7/32.png) [@longlive58](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/longlive58)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-antique-metal-tool/622536/12 "2012-05-21T00:45:10Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > Barry Weiss, is that you? Hahahaha I wish! That dude is BOSS. I spent the whole time at the auction making Storage Wars jokes though. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Sasquatch\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8491ac/32.png) [@Sasquatch\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sasquatch_1)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-antique-metal-tool/622536/13 "2012-05-21T01:01:14Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > What exactly does this do? A lawnmower normally has a rotating blade, it cuts grass and chops it up, which is kind of what you want. For hay, you want to keep the whole blade and stem in one piece, so a sickle mower just cuts it and it falls over. For how it works, you have a rigid frame, either on an outrigger type arm or built into the front of a cutter. A bar with flat, triangular cutting teeth on it reciprocates along the frame, and those teeth above serve to both protect the sharp moving edges from rocks and keep out large items. The big teeth are bolted to the frame by the hole in the back, the reciprocating teeth move back and forth in that slot you can see along the bottom, which is what the sharp teeth cut against. If you’ve read any stories about dogs/children, etc getting legs cut off by running in front of a hay cutter… ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-antique-metal-tool/622536/14 "2012-05-21T01:09:07Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > What exactly does this do? The teeth on the actual blade move back and through the slot in it and thereby shear off the stalks of grass/grain etc. It’s generally called a knife guard, not a blade tooth, which is the serrated triangular piece riveted to the blade. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-antique-metal-tool/622536/15 "2012-05-21T01:09:17Z")
_I’ll have Victorian sex toys for $200, Bob._ ---
**Author:** ![BACI](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce73a5/32.png) [@BACI](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BACI)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-antique-metal-tool/622536/16 "2012-05-21T01:24:08Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > _I’ll have Victorian sex toys for $200, Bob._ Made me snort my coffee…