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49erinnc

Platinum Member
Feb 10, 2004
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I apologize for the crappy photos. Someone took them with a cheap cell phone cam but if someone here can improve the images for better identification, that would be great.

Basically, it was about 3" long and 3/4" wide/tall and made of brass. The base was flat but then angled up into a point. So, looking at it from the sides, it was shaped like a Pentagon but the sides were vertical and not flared out. There was an insert that you could pull out of one side. On the top of the insert, there was a round pin that you can see in the photo. When inserted, it almost seemed like it formed some sort of belt clip but that's just a guess.

It's hard to make it out in the photo but the bottom section of the insert, were two thin pieces of metal with a gap in the middle. The pieces were concave with the ends curving in towards each other where they appeared to be welding together. Each thin piece had two tips to it so there were a total of four little tips welded together.

On the opposite end of the holder, there was a small horizontal slit in the base but I'm not sure what the function of that was or it if was missing a piece.

Anyone have a clue what it is?

Enlarged crappy photo

Smaller, original photo

Small, top view of holder/insert
 
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49erinnc

Platinum Member
Feb 10, 2004
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Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats
is that Bigfoot?


seriopusly....those are the world's worst photos.
Click to expand...

lol...I know. Had no camera on hand nor my phone. Had to borrow someone's crappy cell cam as an only option. Hoping someone recognizes what it is though, despite the poor photos.
 
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49erinnc

Platinum Member
Feb 10, 2004
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Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
Worst pictures ever, seriously.
Click to expand...


Sorry, best I could do under the circumstances. If someone here is graphically gifted and can enlarge with better resolution, I would greatly appreciate it. I was just hoping that someone here owned one of these and would easily recognize it even with the crappy photos.
 
Rubycon

Rubycon

Madame President
Aug 10, 2005
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Too hard to tell by the pics.

It reminds me of a sling psychrometer. :)
 
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49erinnc

Platinum Member
Feb 10, 2004
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If it helps, in that 2nd photo (small front view), if you were to grab that bottom piece and hold it as it is positioned, it would slide right into the left side of that top piece. So that the round pin is then going from one peak of the holder to the other peak, with the other thin strips going inside the base. That's why I thought maybe you slide your belt under the pin at that point to hold it but not sure that would make sense.
 
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49erinnc

Platinum Member
Feb 10, 2004
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How about a really crappy drawing I made of it? :D On the top part which is the holder, you can see the little slit on the side. The bottom part/insert actually inserts into the opposite end, which is noted with the arrows.

I'm teh suck at MS Paint
 
hanoverphist

hanoverphist

Diamond Member
Dec 7, 2006
9,867
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i have that exact doodad!

i always wondered what it was as well, but i think i found out at one point that it was a manuscript pin. as explained to me (if yours is the same as mine) the pin locked into the other side thru holes punched into a corner of a manuscript, making a temporary binding to carry it around. the one i got was from a 95 yr old relative that passed away, its brass and engraved with all kinds of designs. she was also a writer, so the explanation i got made sense at the time.
 
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49erinnc

Platinum Member
Feb 10, 2004
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Originally posted by: hanoverphist
i have that exact doodad!

its brass and engraved with all kinds of designs.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I forgot to mention that the one side of the based had some floral looking pattern engraved into it. Hmmmm....

Edit: So far, google images hasn't turned up anything to confirm but it's a lead if nothing else, so thanks. Maybe if it's tied into writing, that will help me figure it out.
 
T

TheKub

Golden Member
Oct 2, 2001
1,756
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Originally posted by: 49erinnc
Anyone have a clue what it is?
Click to expand...

Why do you need to know? If we had the context maybe that would give us more of a hint.

Oh and..

Originally posted by: 49erinnc
If someone here is graphically gifted and can enlarge with better resolution,
Click to expand...

This isn't the movies!
 
f4phantom2500

f4phantom2500

Platinum Member
Dec 3, 2006
2,284
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Originally posted by: hanoverphist
i have that exact doodad!

i always wondered what it was as well, but i think i found out at one point that it was a manuscript pin. as explained to me (if yours is the same as mine) the pin locked into the other side thru holes punched into a corner of a manuscript, making a temporary binding to carry it around. the one i got was from a 95 yr old relative that passed away, its brass and engraved with all kinds of designs. she was also a writer, so the explanation i got made sense at the time.
Click to expand...

u should upload some pics so we can see it better (im assuming the OP can't take better pics because he doesn't have access to the item nemore or no good camera or something).

oh, by the way op, i dunno if anyone's said this yet, but just so you know...those are the worst pictures ever. seriopusly.
 
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49erinnc

Platinum Member
Feb 10, 2004
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Originally posted by: TheKub


Why do you need to know? If we had the context maybe that would give us more of a hint.
Click to expand...

Context is kind of irrelevant as far as it helping out with hints. Basically, I was at a flea market this weekend, walking around. I stopped to talk this this old man and he pulled it out to ask me if I knew what it was. He said he's had it for years, occasionally asks people about it, but to this day has yet to get an answer. So, I told him that if I had a photo, I could possibly figure it out (ATOT).

I just wanted to help the old fella out and it also puzzled me as to what it was. I told him I'd give him a call if I identified it. We just didn't have a way to take a better photo and he wasn't very PC-savvy so no chance of a better photo emailed to me from him.
Click to expand...
 
hanoverphist

hanoverphist

Diamond Member
Dec 7, 2006
9,867
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Originally posted by: f4phantom2500
Originally posted by: hanoverphist
i have that exact doodad!

i always wondered what it was as well, but i think i found out at one point that it was a manuscript pin. as explained to me (if yours is the same as mine) the pin locked into the other side thru holes punched into a corner of a manuscript, making a temporary binding to carry it around. the one i got was from a 95 yr old relative that passed away, its brass and engraved with all kinds of designs. she was also a writer, so the explanation i got made sense at the time.
Click to expand...

u should upload some pics so we can see it better (im assuming the OP can't take better pics because he doesn't have access to the item nemore or no good camera or something).

oh, by the way op, i dunno if anyone's said this yet, but just so you know...those are the worst pictures ever. seriopusly.
Click to expand...

ill upload some of mine, but it wont be until tonite. im at work, and the thingie is at home.

the engraving on mine is floral as well.
 
4

49erinnc

Platinum Member
Feb 10, 2004
2,095
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I think I may be close. Based on an auction on Ebay, it appears that it may be some sort of Chinese chest or cabinet lock. That would explain the slit on the end where some sort of key would go.

Here's a couple links with similar gadgets but they aren't as nice as the one the old man had but I think this could be what it is:

Ebay listing

Random link to item
 
hanoverphist

hanoverphist

Diamond Member
Dec 7, 2006
9,867
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Originally posted by: 49erinnc
I think I may be close. Based on an auction on Ebay, it appears that it may be some sort of Chinese chest or cabinet lock. That would explain the slit on the end where some sort of key would go.

Here's a couple links with similar gadgets but they aren't as nice as the one the old man had but I think this could be what it is:

Ebay listing

Random link to item
Click to expand...

ya, i found similar thingies too, i knew it was a lock of some sort, but all i was told that it was for manuscripts. mebbe thats how she used it lol.

http://www.djtravel.homestead.com/files/lock_1.jpg

http://www.djtravel.homestead.com/files/lock_2.jpg

http://web.bryant.edu/~library/China8lock.jpg

here are some locks that are similar in operation, but not really similar on design. the one i have is very squarish, these are fairly roundish. havent looked at that thing for a few years, so my memory on the detaisl could be a bit skewed.


and yes, its a grand waste of time, but not an unwanted one while working :p

 
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49erinnc

Platinum Member
Feb 10, 2004
2,095
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Originally posted by: hanoverphist


and yes, its a grand waste of time, but not an unwanted one while working :p
Click to expand...

Yeah, same here and the fact that it was driving me crazy trying to figure it out. If the man had the key with it, it would have been a lot easier to figure out. But when you said it was a manuscript lock, I tried searching for "brass lock" on Ebay and narrowed down the categories to tools, which pulled it up.

Oh well, I think this mystery is solved. Now I have to find something else to kills some down time here today. :)
 
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