This “tool” was recently donated to a museum. Somehow I got elected to find out what it is. I have a few guys insisting it’s some sort of fid, or gripfid.
I ain’t buyin’ it. So I thought I’d run it past you “knot guys”
Any help would be appreciated.
http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/8941/img3092al.jpg
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/7675/img3095f.jpg
http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/4549/img3098o.jpg
Thanks,
Dave
Hi Dave,
I’m surprised you haven’t got a reply by now since I thought most on this site had an opinion about everything.
Its not a fid or gripfid, or anything to to do with ropework or rigging that I know of. Its been annoying me for days that I can’t work out what it is used for.
First suggestion is that it is a crude tubing expander BUT its way too big for that. Any pipe or tube it would fit inside (even copper) would have too thick walls for it to work.
It does look similar to a “wedge and shims” used for splitting rock BUT ever since the Egyptians built the pyramids they have been made of metal. And it tapers too much to be that as well.
My only other suggestion is a podger spike used for straining fence wire through wooden posts. But again the problem is its made of timber and there would be marks where the wire dented it.
I’m assuming the wedge is made of wood, and the ring is steel? To get an idea of its age, is the ring seamless or welded? And if welded, a butt weld or tapered forge weld?
So the best I can help is suggesting what its not.
Jon
Not all tubing or piping with a large diameter necessarily have walls so thick or metal so strong that this couldn’t work. Perhaps wood was used to prevent marring in some flaring operation. That ring would provide repeatability and would prevent over-expansion. Just a wild guess. I could be entirely off.
It’d be good to get some carbon dating to estimate a time frame.
I cannot quite see this mechanism being used in ropework.
Thanks for the feedback, Gentlemen.
I sent the pics here…
http://www.despawson.com/index.html
…and this was his reply.
"Dave I give up I have never seen anything like this in all my studies of the tools for the rope and canvas working trades, I do not like to just guess.
Sorry not to be able to help further
DES "
So I’ve ruled out any type of fid.
I won’t bother you “rope people” with it any more.
BUT, if you’re interested, I sent it here…
http://55tools.blogspot.com/
…and this was his reply.
[i]"Thanks for sending the photos, I don’t know what it is but will post
it on Thursday and will let you know if I get an answer. As you’ve
probably found out, home made tools like this are very difficult and
sometimes impossible to figure out, but hopefully someone will
recognize this one.
Rob"[/i]
Today is Thursday. We’ll see.
Thanks again,
Dave
[ So enthralled with a four-of-a-kind “2222” beside my name,
I was reluctant to tarnish that with another post! :
]
I concur in both responses above, and with Des’s remark
(who should have seen most of what was used w/cordage).
So, I’ll just convey some observations, which others have
noted and you might’ve seen.
The ring suggests a desired restraint,
coupled with the groove in the wood. Your tools correspondent
used “hand-made” and I simply remark that that’s some good
hand-making, but then there are skilled craftsmen/-persons.
I looked for but saw little indication on the exterior of the wood
to suggest what it might have been in contact with in some
effort of expansion; this suggests to me that there was broad
contact (so, widening --or making round into oval-- a tube,
but not spreading even a rock --which should show tangental
blemish, a sort of flattening where wood pressed rock?).
The wood shows a cut? mark perpendicular to its length
(roughly), which might be the extent of a starting cut
into the wood to channel the spike? (The inside surface
doesn’t look all so gouged/roughed-up from spike travel!?)
And towards the pointed end of the wood is clear indication
of non-cutting but splitting of it, with fibres connecting the
opposed sides of the split.
Was there any need for such length of the spreader,
or is it just convenient in the piece of wood likely found
(and, in being fully connected at the pointed end, keeps
the spreading halves joined (spike & ring though must
be retained by some other means unless the spread-jam
of the spike into wood can survive incidental bumps).
The angle of the spike’s sides is enough more severe
than the well longer split of the wood to imply that there
should be significant wear at the open end of the wood!?
As shown in your center image (which I think shows the
opposite side of the wood from the other two --note the
present/absent blemish(es)), the lower side of wood looks
quite straight on its exterior, while the upper half seems
to make somewhat of a bend at about inch-point 8.5.
I think we’ll be interested in a plausible answer to this riddle,
irrespective of that being within the field of cordage uses.
I’m still digging.
I had a couple guys think it might have been used in old-school timber framing. So I sent it here http://www.northhouse.org/ They had no idea what it was either.
If I get a good, solid answer, I’ll let y’all know.
I just got this…
I think that this is a wedge that was used in rope beds to roll the tension at one end of the bed before the weaving took place of the crossings that were directed through the sides and ends of the bed. When this peg was in place in the hole with the line tied around it, the wedge was driven in and, because they did not want the peg to split, they put the iron ring on the peg top. I am not certain however.
Watcha think?
I think :o ! 
To my eye, the amount of expansion got by this device
isn’t great; the peg being split open is relatively long,
and I can’t see this apparently being used for each of
lines of some bed-for-humans (in making much difference)
and left in place (if not, how was tension gained held?)!?
