🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Instrument reed?

[Detector mom]

Heavy metal with a nice green patina. It seems whole. The little holes and cut increments are intriguing. Or maybe it’s just horse tack.

 

[traveller777]

Heavy metal with a nice green patina. It seems whole. The little holes and cut increments are intriguing. Or maybe it’s just horse tack.

Thanks for sharing. What is material? Is it Ferrous or nonferrous? I love history, don't you?

 

[creskol]

Heavy metal with a nice green patina. It seems whole. The little holes and cut increments are intriguing. Or maybe it’s just horse tack.

I don't think it is a reed of any sort, but it may be a tailpiece off of an 8-string mandolin.

 

[traveller777]

I don't think it is a reed of any sort, but it may be a tailpiece off of an 8-string mandolin.

Great guess Creskol. That never occurred to me.

 

[Brokenbear]

SWAG ..the slits with holes ..holes to stop further encroachment of the slit ..1/2 moon shaped stamped bend in metal with slits designed to conform to a curve like an axle housing ..like a part of a body (wagon, car tractor?) to form a splash guard

WARNING: the above and 50 cents will not get you a cup of coffee

Bear

 

[crashbandicoot]

Detector Mom,you find the neatest stuff.Way to go!

 

[Detector mom]

Thanks for sharing. What is material? Is it Ferrous or nonferrous? I love history, don't you?

I don't think it is a reed of any sort, but it may be a tailpiece off of an 8-string mandolin.

That would be cool 😎

 

[Detector mom]

I don't think it is a reed of any sort, but it may be a tailpiece off of an 8-string mandolin.

Love your quote btw

 

[Detector mom]

Detector Mom,you find the neatest stuff.Way to go!

Thank you. I’m running out of permissions and the ground is frozen so I’ve been going thru finds and cleaning them up, etc. Amazing how stuff you overlooked turns out to be Interesting after all. 🙂

 

[Detector mom]

Thanks for sharing. What is material? Is it Ferrous or nonferrous? I love history, don't you?

Hmmmm. Not sure. And YES history rocks

 

[Detector mom]

Hey there. So this idea of the mandolin tailpiece sent me down a research rabbit hole last night. Which I would not have even known was there but for your expertise specifically Creskol’s. Anyway I think there’s something to it. Could also be from a banjo. And I think it’s homemade? Here are some stringed instrument tailpieces I found so far. Trust me as a total history/artifact geek I’m not giving up yet!

 

[invent4hir]

A couple observations: 1) there appears to be a pair of rivets and 2) the corners appear different with one being more rounded than the other. I don't think this is due to how the artifact is bent.

If the end shapes are different, those are rivets, and the artifact is whole does that help? Hope so, I've no clue as to ID.

*Note: I guessed at how the edges not appearing in the picture look...

 

[Tdog]

I've played mandolins, guitars, banjos and fiddles for 54+ years and currently have three mandolins, four 5-string banjos and too many guitars to count and still have one of three fiddles that I've owned (yes, fiddles--not violins). I've given two 5-string banjos away in the past--one to my cousin for display in his man cave and one to a young teenaged girl wanting to learn how to play. I've also sold one to my brother-in-law (and yes, I did give him the brother-in-law price!). Not the most impressive "credentials" but I'm no rookie when it comes to these instruments. As far as banjo's go, they have either 4 strings (tenor) or 5 strings (bluegrass) except for the earliest, rudimentary ones. The 8 holes in your piece look too crude and widely spaced for it to be the tailpiece to a mandolin although they do add up to the correct number but disqualify it from being a banjo tailpiece. It looks to be too large for either purpose plus banjo tailpieces may have either 4 or 5 holes. I wish I could tell you what it is but I feel confident in telling you what it is not! I hope you find out and if it turns out that I'm wrong, I will stand corrected. I am definitely interested in what it turns out to be.

Regards,

Terry "Tdog" Walls

 

[Tdog]

SWAG ..the slits with holes ..holes to stop further encroachment of the slit ..1/2 moon shaped stamped bend in metal with slits designed to conform to a curve like an axle housing ..like a part of a body (wagon, car tractor?) to form a splash guard

WARNING: the above and 50 cents will not get you a cup of coffee

Bear

I like Bear's idea best. Looks like there may have been another piece that was on top and stamped the area of the bend and covered the area with the slits and holes. A guard/housing like Bear said.

 

[DCMatt]

Not music related... unless it was used for dancing.

I believe it is the remains of a Dr. Scholl's Foot Eazer shoe insert. Early to mid 20th C. We've seen these posted before...

 

[invent4hir]

DCMatt thanks for the education

 

[Plug N Play]

I think this one says Reform/Re-form ?

 

[DCMatt]

I think this one says Reform/Re-form ?

View attachment 2005923

Bingo! Here's an ad from a 1917 American Pediatrics publication:

 

[GoldieLocks]

Ow big is this item? If it is oxidized copper metal that has turned green why would someone think it would go it a shoe?

How about a shovel end for shoveling coal into a fireplace?

 

[Detector mom]

I think this one says Reform/Re-form ?

View attachment 2005923

That’s something! These were supposed to make them feel better? 🤨