Lead tool of some sort?

[bbheigle0605]

I went out for a few hours and did some good. 1901 V nickel, 3 bottles, 2 marbles (glass one is broken), few bullets and other randoms. My father and I are scratching our heads on 2 pieces. The lead tool or knife? Seems to have iron in the center. And a brass round thing with a possible C on it? Not sure if it's a C or it's corrosion. This is from a old farm house that was burned down during the early 1900's and was built during the early 1800's. Thanks again in advance!

 

[creskol]

It is a WWI era mess kit knife handle.

 

[bbheigle0605]

It is a WWI era mess kit knife handle.

Thanks! Interesting

 

[gunsil]

It is a WWI era mess kit knife handle.

That's what I thought at first, but the aluminum handles on the WW1 mess knives don't have the steel showing through the handles, or at least the several I have don't. My though is a table knife that had a pewter or aluminum frame with a wood or bone insert handle and the wood or bone has long since deteriorated away.

 

[BosnMate]

It doesn't look to me like the iron was showing originally, but the aluminum or what ever pot metal it was has rotted away enough to partially show iron along the edge. I have to stick with creskol on the handle, except I think I remember a fork with the same sort of handle. But don't take that to the bank, because I could be wrong, however to me it looks like the same knife handle that they had boxes of in the surplus store when I was a boy scout.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

It's too close a "judgement-call" for me to be sure whether the eating-utensil knife handle's recessed center had a wood/bone inlay or was very-thin aluminum that deteriorated out. I can only say that Bbheigle0605's sideview photo of the handle shows the handle's thin-ness, which means the aluminum in the handle's recessed area would be EXTREMELY thin... and thus there is at least a possibility that it corroded away as the steel under it rusted and blistered.

For any reader here who doesn't already know about it, here's a link to an excellent educational article (with many photos) on the varieties of US Army mess gear from the civil war through today. For the eating utensils, go to page 36 and read onward to the Model-1910 (World War One era) utensils photos and info. The Model-1910 knife was made of stamped steel with a recessed-center aluminum handle cast onto the steel underbody.
http://www.history.army.mil/html/museums/messkits/Field_Mess_Gear%28upd_Jul09%29.pdf