Is it a fid?

General Discussion
1

Hello,

I’ve loved knots and rope for as long as I can remember, but I’ve never owned the ‘right’ tools. Screwdrivers, sticks and bent bits of wire have generally served me well.

I stumbled across the tool in the attached picture in a friends shed. He used it for general prodding duties, but I wonder if it was originally designed to prod rope alone? It’s got 6 sides rather than the expected conical. It’s about 10" long.

Do you think it’s a fid, or just another “it’ll do” tool? If the latter - any ideas what it is!?

Cheers

Barney

2

Can’t tell what the intended use is, but it is not likely to be knots/ropework.

In other words another “will do” tool - which is not a bad thing, mind you!

3

I would hazard a guess. I think it is a broach. For rather large fastening pins. Chris of Clickspring on Youtube use a similar tool, though smaller, in his skeleton clock project.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8Y146v8HxE

At 2 minutes, he describes the tapered pins.

Here is more on taper: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_taper

4

Your tool is a “steel” for honing the edge of a carving knife, part of a matched meat carving set.
Nice find.

5

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Wed; you’ve caused me to lose many hours to Clickspring now :o ;D

Groundline; I initially did not think this was what it could be, as it’s hexagonal rather than rounded, and the flats are smooth and very slightly concave. It’s not what I’d have expected from a steel. However, the tool is now mine ( ;D ) and I showed my Dad. He noticed the ring of silver around the handle, which once cleaned up, has the hallmark of a silversmith in Sheffield working for a cutlery manufacturer, manufactured in 1910!

That info, combined with your picture, pretty much seals the deal. All that’s left to do now is to show it some knots.

Thanks

6

Well, I am not perfect either …

Groundline; I initially did not think this was what it could be, as it's hexagonal rather than rounded, and the flats are smooth and very slightly concave. It's not what I'd have expected from a steel. However, the tool is now mine ( ;D ) and I showed my Dad. He noticed the ring of silver around the handle, which once cleaned up, has the hallmark of a silversmith in Sheffield working for a cutlery manufacturer, manufactured in 1910!

That info, combined with your picture, pretty much seals the deal. All that’s left to do now is to show it some knots.

Thanks

With this extra bit of data, I’ll revise my guess as well.

7

It is a “heaver” with six slightly CONVEX (not “conical”… sorry!)l faces and is used to tighten up decorative knots or to snug down a heavy lacing. Usually they have a “T” handle when manufactured all in steel but the (one supposes bone?) handle and the wrap are indicative of an idiosyncratic maker. It would not serve well as a steel, AFAIK.

Ruddy loverly… I look for one for twenty years and you stumble onto it… ah, well. That’s what make the world go 'round, innit?

8

The tool in question is a cutlery steel. The stitching heaver you are wishing to find looks like this: