✅ SOLVED Chinese tool or decorative piece?

[strick]

Found this in an old Chinese gold mining camp. Help identifying it would be greatly appreciated.



strick

 

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[Back-of-the-boat]

The round item is a Chinese coin the other item looks to be part of a handle(dresser,desk kitchen drawer etc.)

 

[strick]

Thanks Boat.......I just threw the coin in there to show that the part was of Chinese origin. I have not had any luck finding anything on line that looks even remotely close in resemblance to it. But I can see what you are talking about. Thanks again!!

strick

 

[CTwoods]

Found this in an old Chinese gold mining camp. Help identifying it would be greatly appreciated.

I just threw the coin in there to show that the part was of Chinese origin.

strick

I think that is a very interesting find.

Just my take? I do not believe it is of Asian origin. If that was found in the Eastern US, most people would look at the "crudeness" of the non symmetrical pattern on the sides, and also the very simplistic designs...both of which makes it seem a lot older than the CA gold era. IMO

It is decorative but did support something, but with only one screw, what could it support?

I'd bump this thread back up once a year, someone may ID it.

What items would be needed for survival in a poor Asian mining claim spot?

Is there any chance it is firearm related? Does the back side fit on a flat surface, or is it concave?

 

[DCMatt]

I'm thinking "pipe tool". Possibly for opium. But I can't find a pic of an old one like that.

Here is a modern version you get an idea of what I'm thinking:



Scrapper on one end. Tamper on the other. A rivet (now rusted away) held a pick in the middle.

 

[CTwoods]

Scrapper on one end. Tamper on the other. A rivet (now rusted away) held a pick in the middle.

I had been looking at the rust bleeding on both sides. The underside makes it seem it was still attached to something for a very long time, if not recent? I can't tell if that spot seems like it was attached to wood or not.

but what gets my interest, is the rough casting, indicating early made...but more importantly, the freehand punched designs really scream early-mid 1700s? early American?

What age range do you guess on those features? Certainly not mid 1800s?

 

[DCMatt]

I admit my first thought was 'nipple wrench' that had an iron screwdriver at the rivet. But it seems too flimsy for that and the point isn't small enough for a nipple pick.

The crude cast and hand etching do make me think late 18th to early 19th C. Or it could just be a hand made el cheapo piece to sell to miners with little money.

DCMatt

 

[marion moore]

I believe they were at least (3) pcs. to it. find the others would really help to make an identification.
my guess is its part of some kind of pointer, maybe on a sundial, marion

 

[FlipN-Cactusland]

The Chinese were amateur techies with a myriad of ideas... like many of us today. One can only guess. It appears to be some sort of gate or fence finial with a flat point possibly attached to a round handle. Improvised crevicing tool that broke off? Just a thought.

 

[goldbrick]

The big end is semi round with a purpose built taper. I think that end is the business end of it, the key to solving this mystery. The rusty area was used as an attachment point. The pointed end is nothing more than ornamentation. This piece is too unbalanced to be a pointer in my lowly opinion.

 

[strick]

Thanks for the responses fellas. Here are a couple more photos with better lighting. I was thinking some sort of dagger or crevicing tool ? I'll be heading back in a couple weeks...




strick

 

[CTwoods]

The big end is semi round with a purpose built taper. I think that end is the business end of it, the key to solving this mystery. The rusty area was used as an attachment point. The pointed end is nothing more than ornamentation. This piece is too unbalanced to be a pointer in my lowly opinion.

agree that the pointed end is decorative, but was part of it's strength sticking out.

Thanks for the responses fellas. Here are a couple more photos with better lighting. I was thinking some sort of dagger or crevicing tool ? I'll be heading back in a couple weeks...


strick

I doubt it was a pointed tool of any sort, as it can't be strong, and it shows no wear.

I hope you get an ID on it, as I do believe it is quite old. I keep thinking it came from something like a firearm. I looked at a bunch of muskets and early round ball pistols, and I noticed a musket trigger guard that had the same pointed, leaf shapes at the ends of the guard itself.

It sure looks like it fit against something slightly rounded? I had wondered if it really was from a early firearm, could it be the piece up front, under the barrel, where the ramrod went in? IDK, but it is interesting. I'd be searching iron targets if you recall exactly the spot it was found?

 

[NOLA_Ken]

It's a ram rod guide from a muzzle loading gun. I can't find an exact match to it online yet, but I'm fairly sure that's what it is. The rust is wat's left of the screw or nail that held it to the stock. I'll keep looking for a match

 

[CTwoods]

It's a ram rod guide from a muzzle loading gun. I can't find an exact match to it online yet, but I'm fairly sure that's what it is. The rust is wat's left of the screw or nail that held it to the stock. I'll keep looking for a match

I can't find a match yet, but did learn a bit more about the styles of the "ramrod entry".

It seems that gunsmiths did many types, so it may never be matched online?

And I see evidence that some were made of two parts; a piece like we are searching for, which could have held a second brass part that was tube shaped: The pic is of an unknown maker below;

I still feel that if it is what we think, it could be from a early roundball/powder pistol, too

 

[NOLA_Ken]

here's one that is pretty much identical aside from the engraving and a slight difference at the point. It's on an Belgian made percussion shotgun, from the mid 1800's. The reason it's not a full tube at the end is that the ramrod fit tight to the rib between the barrels.




The rest of the gun is pictured here : Need Help with "London" Antique Muzzleloader Shotgun....?? Now with PICS....

 

[bradyboy]

sundial ?

 

[Ironman!]

Here are pics. of one (ramrod guide) from my many rifle/pistol parts I dig, for reference.

IM

 

[CTwoods]

Here are pics. of one (ramrod guide) from my many rifle/pistol parts I dig, for reference.

IM

With that, I am sure you have proven what it is. Very cool finds IMO

 

[CTwoods]

QUOTE=CTwoods;4856586] If that was found in the Eastern US, most people would look at the "crudeness" of the non symmetrical pattern on the sides, and also the very simplistic designs...both of which makes it seem a lot older than the CA gold era. IMO

[/QUOTE]
I still am thinking that this is way older than the CAL gold rush era.

I've been researching early colonial brass items for furniture with crude hand stamped designs, for a month. From what I can find online, that hand stamping has been dated to 1690-1740 on the East Coast colonies.

If you can tell if it looks stamped or if it was engraved by slicing with a sharp tool, it could tell a bit more about the age, if somebody could match the engraving style on other known gun parts? At this point, I'd say it is the earlier hand stamped, and very old for Cal.


EDIT: If you look at the underside of the piece that was found in post one, it proves that it was still attached to the wooden stock when buried. If that mark was not there, you could assume the brass piece fell off of the gun, and the gun was still usable.

If this part was found at a high/dry level campsite, rather than a side hill or drywash, the other iron parts should have survived, but may have been found by a previous MDer ?

[

 

[NOLA_Ken]

QUOTE=CTwoods;4856586] If that was found in the Eastern US, most people would look at the "crudeness" of the non symmetrical pattern on the sides, and also the very simplistic designs...both of which makes it seem a lot older than the CA gold era. IMO


I still am thinking that this is way older than the CAL gold rush era.

I've been researching early colonial brass items for furniture with crude hand stamped designs, for a month. From what I can find online, that hand stamping has been dated to 1690-1740 on the East Coast colonies.

If you can tell if it looks stamped or if it was engraved by slicing with a sharp tool, it could tell a bit more about the age, if somebody could match the engraving style on other known gun parts? At this point, I'd say it is the earlier hand stamped, and very old for Cal.


EDIT: If you look at the underside of the piece that was found in post one, it proves that it was still attached to the wooden stock when buried. If that mark was not there, you could assume the brass piece fell off of the gun, and the gun was still usable.

If this part was found at a high/dry level campsite, rather than a side hill or drywash, the other iron parts should have survived, but may have been found by a previous MDer ?

[

It's a ramrod guide from a Belgian made double barrel shotgun and likely dates to the 1840's. look at the pic I posted, and the link. The rust only shows that the screw or tack was still in it when it went in the ground. The rest of the gun could be nearby, but the rust spot alone is no guarantee.