Countless contraptions that revolutionized farming in the 19th and early 20th centuries have become contemporary curiosities, or even mysteries. Here are six sent in by readers. Do you know what they are?
Answers to the June 2023 items will appear in the August 2023 issue.
Answers for items in this issue must be received by June 7, 2023.
A. Found in a field. Tool a 7-1/4 by 11/16 inches wide. Marked with numbers 1-7 and made of brass or bronze.
Unidentified.
Photo submitted by Arthur Sargent, Columbia, Ky.
B. Tool measures 6 inches long. Wheel (which spins freely) measures 1-3/8 inches in diameter. Teeth are 1/4-inch wide. No markings.
No positive identification. It could be a spur embedder used to embed wire in bee frame wax foundation, or it could be a cobbler’s tool (marking wheel or cowboy boot spur wheel). The two tools appear to be nearly identical.
Identified by Duane Warner, Baldwin, Wis.; Nick Caldiero, Afton, N.Y.; Robert Scholz, Elmo, Mo.; and Ken Bolton, Fall Creek, Wis.
Photo submitted by Gary Gentzel Sr., Spring Mills, Pa.
C. Tool on left measures about 30 inches tall; tool on right, about 16 inches tall.
Probably a user-made tool used to install and remove the square axle nut found on the axle of most wagons. The tapered wedge would be driven down to make a tight fit.
Photo submitted by Christian Frey, Chambersburg, Pa.
Photo submitted by Bob Wittersheim, Carleton, Mich.
D. Tool measures 7-1/4 inches long.
Johnathan Kelley, Connellsville, Pa., believes this to be a leather rougher used by saddle makers to roughen up two pieces of leather before gluing them together.
E. Set of 50 1-ft. sections (four shown here).
U-Need-A Pinless Clothes Line.
Photo submitted by Bob Wittersheim, Carleton, Mich.
F. Basket measures 16-1/2 inches across. Legs measure 30 inches tall. No handles.
No positive identification. Likely part of a store or shop display.
Photo submitted by Mike Klein, Sioux City, Iowa.
To submit photos:
Send prints to Farm Collector, 1503 SW 42nd St., Topeka, KS 66609. Send digital images to editor@farmcollector.com.
- Photos should be taken in a well-lit area against a plain background. Include dimensions and any markings on the piece. We cannot guarantee every photo will be published, nor can we respond to inquiries regarding when photos will be published. No photos will be returned.
- Digital photos should be sent as .jpgs at a minimum of 300 dpi.
To identify an item:
Send answers (with your name and address) to Farm Collector, 1503 SW 42nd St., Topeka, KS 66609. Email responses may be sent to editor@farmcollector.com.
Answers for new items shown in this issue must be received by June 7, 2023.
Originally published as “Wanted: Gadgets, Gizmos & Contraptions” in the June issue of Farm Collector Magazine.