Brass Tip

BuckleBoy · Sep 15, 2009

Here's another one that I think will be a little easier for the ID gurus. I have a hunch this is horse related. It is made of brass and has one hole in it for attaching it to something--wood most likely. There is a bit of silver plating still on the piece.

Regards,

Buckles

johnnyi · Sep 15, 2009

Buckles, look for wear near the closed end. If this was an end cap for the arms of a carriage it will occasionally show on one side.

BuckleBoy · Sep 15, 2009

johnnyi said:
Buckles, look for wear near the closed end. If this was an end cap for the arms of a carriage it will occasionally show on one side.

I think we're on the same page here with our hunches about this item. I looked for wear, but it must be very slight if it is there. The patina hides it.

johnnyi · Sep 15, 2009

Buckles, yes, the wear would not necessarily be there, it is just helpful when it is. I've got a bunch of these strashed away which I'll try to dig out. They're different designs, but they have in common the sized hole for the wood and the screw hole. Finding a couple which showed some dramatic wear on the end/bottom pretty much confirmed what they were for me.

72cheyenne · Sep 15, 2009

Maybe the bottom end piece of a hame? Were there ever hames that didn't have the ball?

BuckleBoy · Sep 15, 2009

72cheyenne said:
Maybe the bottom end piece of a hame? Were there ever hames that didn't have the ball?

That I don't know. I've only seen the type with the ball, but it is possible that these have been mis-identified over the years. I bet mojjax could find one in his vintage Montgomery Ward catalog...

johnnyi · Sep 15, 2009

Buckles, I was just tearing a few rooms apart, but could find what I was looking for (with I'd known about the "what is it " forum before I stored stuff away in such safe places even I can't find it.

) Anyway, here's an example of a brass end which matches several I've found which are not worn. They all have the singl;e screw hole as well, (though this one is worn away). You can see from the two scans how these things can wear, and I can't imagine that anything couldwear over time so much if it was not the tip to a straight carriage shaft (that continually wore as it lay on the ground while the carriage was being possitioned).

Here's a link which shows the small brass part in use. http://www.buggy.com/parts2.html

traderoftreasures · Sep 15, 2009

i went out and looked at the hames i have outside and the bottoms are different. they are open sided. but it looks like it could fit.

ivan salis · Sep 15, 2009

flag pole tip end ?

BuckleBoy · Sep 15, 2009

ivan salis said:
flag pole tip end ?

I have heard of some of these items ID'ed as flag pole tips, but if they aren't found at CW sites I don't know if that's what they are. This is a house site find. :dontknow:

ivan salis · Sep 15, 2009

I got a flag pole hanger on my house -- on holidays I put my flag out ( its attached to a short wooden pole which had a end alot like yours to insert in the mounted to the house butt end "holder " )--it used to be common to fly the flag at your home on holidays

traderoftreasures · Sep 15, 2009

end off of a scabboard

Kyle PA · Sep 15, 2009

Buck,

I found something similar to yours. It is the relic at the top of the picture. It has two holes in it. Someone told me that it could be from a table leg. I still am not sure if the ID was correct.

Kyle

BuckleBoy · Sep 15, 2009

ivan salis said:
I got a flag pole hanger on my house -- on holidays I put my flag out ( its attached to a short wooden pole which had a end alot like yours to insert in the mounted to the house butt end "holder " )--it used to be common to fly the flag at your home on holidays

True enough, but I didn't think they were as common at mid-1800s log cabins in the middle of nowhere. Usually flag staff tips are decorated in some way.

BuckleBoy · Sep 15, 2009

traderoftreasures said:
end off of a scabboard

That's a good guess, but that would be one pretty big scabbard. I have several scabbard tips. They are the same length, but only an quarter of the diameter.