🔎 UNIDENTIFIED help IDing wartime (?) relic

[jrh4]

Hey gang! I recently acquired this strange metal tubular tool that looks like maybe a WWI/II relic. Google AI keeps telling me it might be a oil tool for a machine gun, but those have a little spoon and this one has a thicker metal insert like a knife sharpener or something. It's very heavy, well-constructed brass and steel. I can't seem to find anything comparable though, so I was hoping someone on here might be able to clue me in. I'm attaching some pics. Thanks in advance!

 

[ncsuwolf]

Is the rod steel or ceramic? Looks like a really fancy sharpening steel, although I don’t know why someone would make one this “well”. Are there any markings anywhere?

 

[jrh4]

Is the rod steel or ceramic? Looks like a really fancy sharpening steel, although I don’t know why someone would make one this “well”. Are there any markings anywhere?

I know, it's really solid and well-made. The rod is metal/steel. If it is a sharpening tool, it's a petty high grit because it's very smooth too. There are zero markings anywhere, which adds to the mystery.

 

[ncsuwolf]

Can you take a close up pic of where the rod goes into the handle?

Or can you stick a magnet to the rod to see if it sticks?

 

[ticndig]

ferro rod ? see if it will spark.

 

[Jack873]

ferro rod ? see if it will spark.

I second this.

 

[Retired Sarge]

ferro rod ? see if it will spark. View attachment 2267670

Came here to say the same thing....

 

[daddyflea]

Could also be a knife sharpener.

 

[UnderMiner]

It's an alien probe, thousands were found scattered over the desert of Roswell, New Mexico in 1947 after the UFO crashed nearby. This is an original extraterrestrial version, not the cheap reverse engineered ones they made here on Earth later on.

 

[jrh4]

Thanks everyone. I thought about a ferro rod, but it doesn't spark. It is also not magnetic. I guess I'm sticking with knife sharpener for now

 

[ncsuwolf]

Please take a pic of where rod meets handle. I think I can see “white” there. If so good chance it’s ceramic.

 

[jrh4]

Please take a pic of where rod meets handle. I think I can see “white” there. If so good chance it’s ceramic.

Thanks for asking! It actually WAS ceramic! I know because I broke it trying to find out. Bummer! So what do you think it WAS?? haha

 

[russau]

I agree with the blade sharpening tool !

 

[ncsuwolf]

Thanks for asking! It actually WAS ceramic! I know because I broke it trying to find out. Bummer! So what do you think it WAS?? haha

My guess…It is/was a knife sharpener. Ceramic was used to put a fine edge on a blade. Not saying this is the case here, but that could be a one off sharpener made by a talented, but bored, machinist on night shift. Place my dad used to work used ceramic rods to push some nasty caustic chemicals through a manufacturing process. We have several ceramic sharpeners from leftovers at work (none as fancy as yours).