Cane or chair leg bottom??? (Solved: Ox knobs/Ox balls)

[BomberJohn]

I've found several of these brass pieces in the year plus I've been at this hobby. Originally I thought it was a plumbing piece. But, the last two I've found had wood in them. They appeared to be broken off the bottom of a cane or chair leg or something. I suspect these are common, but I don't know anything about them.

They about .75"-.8" tall (open end to open end), about .9" across the octagon nut around the outside, threaded inside (about 12-13 threads over length), inside diameter measures about .6".

Any thoughts? Info?

Thanks,
John

 

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[leddel]

Re: Cane or chair leg bottom

they're oxknobs , they would go on the end of the horns to protect the animal from harming itself or other animals.

bet you thought you had a nice coin from the signal that made , huh?

 

[lostcauses]

Re: Cane or chair leg bottom

they're oxknobs , they would go on the end of the horns to protect the animal from harming itself or other animals.

bet you thought you had a nice coin from the signal that made , huh?

Horn weights, were used on cattle also.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Cane or chair leg bottom

they're oxknobs , they would go on the end of the horns to protect the animal from harming itself or other animals.

bet you thought you had a nice coin from the signal that made , huh?

Horn weights, were used on cattle also.

Nice ID. The screws are missing.May have been horn inside. http://www.tractorshed.com/contents/adpic125367.htm

 

[BomberJohn]

Re: Cane or chair leg bottom

Nice ID. The screws are missing.May have been horn inside. http://www.tractorshed.com/contents/adpic125367.htm

Looks like that might be right. There is only one hole on the side of my examples and neither is threaded. Your example doesn't have the octagonal nut around the outside(manufacturer variation?). And I would have sworn what I pull out was wood, but I wouldn't know what old decayed horn looked like. Would it have similar look towood grain running through it?

Thanks everyone. Any thoughts on age? One was found on a farm (makes sense) and the other near a cellar hole (doen't know if it was a farm).

HH
John

 

[BomberJohn]

Re: Cane or chair leg bottom Oxknob? Counduit Cap?

New possibility: BX cable to conduit adapters that threaded onto the conduit (by creskol). Possibility!

The oxknob picture link BCH provided shows something similar but they are bigger. Obviously they could have made smaller ones. And I don't see threeads inside. Where they threaded?

Still searching until I see something closer to my two.

More info: the internal threads are tapered. The opening side starts around .65" ID and the other end is .55"ID (inside diameter). The threads go the entire length of the taper. No internal shoulder or anthing.

Thanks all.
John

 

[leddel]

Re: Cane or chair leg bottom Oxknob? Counduit Cap?

there definately oxknobs here's a few i've have found, i've dug some as old as colonial period to just before the 1900's all different types some with threads some without but almost all had a set screw hole

 

[RPG]

Re: Cane or chair leg bottom Oxknob? Counduit Cap?

Is the hole in the side threaded like for a setscrew?

 

[BomberJohn]

Re: Cane or chair leg bottom Oxknob? Counduit Cap?

Is the hole in the side threaded like for a setscrew?

One has faint signs of threads. The other has none.

 

[BomberJohn]

Re: Cane or chair leg bottom Oxknob? Counduit Cap?

there definately oxknobs here's a few i've have found, i've dug some as old as colonial period to just before the 1900's all different types some with threads some without but almost all had a set screw hole

Thanks leddel,

Now those look more like what I've got. Thanks.

Drew up what I have here. For future info.

 

[BomberJohn]

Re: Cane or chair leg bottom (Solved: Oxknobs)

Thanks to creskol for finding this in his 1897 Sears catalog! Actually called Ox balls.

I love this hobby!!!

 

[intimer]

wow, never ceases to amaze me when things are id'd.

mike