✅ SOLVED Flower Nail Head or Gear on a Shaft?

[Underwonder]

This is about 4 inches long..I put it through electrolysis but it’s still rather crude looking...At first it looked like a fancy nail, then more like a gear. It was in with other assorted metals on property used by people from the 1700s through now...Thanks for ideas!

 

[creskol]

Looks like a wick adjuster

 

[xr7ator]

I vote for gear on shaft.

 

[Evan in CA]

To me I would say it looks like a gear on a shaft. Like creskol said wick adjuster or to something like a clock

 

[VTColonialDigger]

Looks like a wick adjuster

I agree creskol, from an oil lamp!

 

[Tony in SC]

I remember when I was a kid we had a round kerosene heater with a round wick. The adjuster was on a long shaft that came through the side.

Looks like a wick adjuster

 

[Underwonder]

Looks like a wick adjuster

Thanks, creskol!

 

[Underwonder]

Thank you, everyone...so a gear or knob on a shaft that was likely used as a wick adjuster...makes sense to me! Love this group!

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I remember when I was a kid we had a round kerosene heater with a round wick. The adjuster was on a long shaft that came through the side.

I still got one of them down at my other house right now. That's right down the holler.

We were poor folk down here - Mom a single Mom in 1956 - those times will never leave my memory. Mom's still here at 94. Bless her for staying good, as best as she could be. Dad didn't pay child support - lot of times my brother and I had nothing to eat.

 

[ArfieBoy]

Honestly, I think it is a gear on a shaft. I've seen a lot of kerosene type lamps and I've never seen a wick adjuster know with teeth that big. Usually the knob has deep grooves on it rather than definite tooth shapes. Just my opinion here.

 

[Tony in SC]

One night my brother and I tried to roast weiners over the top of the heater. We found that smoked kerosene is not a good flavor on a hotdog!!

I remember when I was a kid we had a round kerosene heater with a round wick. The adjuster was on a long shaft that came through the side.

 

[Underwonder]

I still got one of them down at my other house right now. That's right down the holler.

We were poor folk down here - Mom a single Mom in 1956 - those times will never leave my memory. Mom's still here at 94. Bless her for staying good, as best as she could be. Dad didn't pay child support - lot of times my brother and I had nothing to eat.

Bless your mom and wishing you prosperity of heart.

 

[Underwonder]

Honestly, I think it is a gear on a shaft. I've seen a lot of kerosene type lamps and I've never seen a wick adjuster know with teeth that big. Usually the knob has deep grooves on it rather than definite tooth shapes. Just my opinion here.

Thanks. All opinions welcomed!