Dear madam, I assure you I am not "following you around". I read a lot of posts and like you I try to help in positive identification. I do not try to be abrasive or negative, but I do prefer facts to conjecture. You are a prolific poster, and quite helpful, and when I agree with you I never say a thing. When I believe you are incorrect I will say so, and I am not trying to be condescending when doing so. Does the fact that I was a mechanic mean I am stupid or incapable of knowledge in other areas?? The fact that you mention this as some type of criteria seems rather ludicrous, condescending, and mildly insulting. I am university educated in anthropology and attended with a scholarship. I started collecting civil war items at 13 in 1960. At one point I had perhaps the best and largest collection of civil war belt plates in the northeast. I had my first table selling antiques at a show at 13 also, and have been attending shows, trading, buying and selling ever since. This equates to 53 years of hands on knowledge of civil war and other antiques. My parents were antique collectors and my grandfather had many civil war guns and other things. I also have made fine silver and gold jewelry since the mid 70s and have worked with an antique jewelry store for years. I have been metal detecting since 1970, and have had the privilege of hunting many rev war sites here and in MA before many folks had even heard of a metal detector, and have studied many relics over the years. Because I stated that items like yours and similar to the ones found by the OP were items found in pump sprayers and that I refuted your idea that rubber lasts years out in the elements was no attack on your intellect, just trying to get a better positive ID on the items at hand. I have never watched Mayberry, I prefer educational shows and reading history books and civil war diaries. I apologize if I upset you, I in no means would mean to do that, and I don't know why you seem so irritated when I do disagree with you.
Have a great weekend,
Gunsil