Old Ivory thing ?

[mojjax]

It's 10 inches long . There are 6 raised areas on one side .

Each of the raised parts are not the same length as the others , and they show wear ( all rounded and smooth) - so I don't think they were broke off from something longer .
Any ideas ?
mojjax

 

[Sonnydigs]

It looks like an Indian Bone Awl..Although it is larger than a typical awl. I think it is probably bone rather than Ivory.. I also think it is an Eskimo tool..
Just my guess.

 

[cheese]

I also thought Eskimo/Inuit when I saw it. It would be worth finding out for sure.

 

[Sonnydigs]

I do know which ever it is it's probably worth a few hundred dollars.. Highly collectible items especially when they're hand made bone or Ivory..

 

[Michelle]

Yes, we want more whatzits. PLEASE. The challenge, the mystery, the suspense...all good.

Mojjax......can we move on now with another Whatsit.....please

 

[Mainedigger]

Mojjax..I don;t think that is a "needle" for mending nets...looks too long and if your grandfather was sardining the "needles" he used would have been alot shorter and narrower to be able to weave in and out of the small mesh used in a sardine seine or net. Also, there is no place to wind the nylon cord around used to mend with. I used to go purse seining for herring (sardines) and we never used any needles that fancy to mend with and our needles were all short and narrow.
I would go with it being an eskimo or old Indian tool...now the big question....used for what and what did it come from? Could also be some ivory used on an old whaling boat...marlin spike would be about right, we used steel ones to unbraid the winch wire as we spliced it with and it could have been used to unbraid old rope before splicing.
Cool old house....need any help going through everything? Check out that old stone fireplace very carefully...great place to have a secret cubby hole to hide things in...also check all the walls and check under the floorboards....old houses like that can have MANY hiding places for caches...good luck!!!!!!!! Looks like outside of the house will be a great place to detect as well...

 

[diggummup]

I think we're all on the same track here.I believe it's either, a fid-a large pin used to seperate the twisted strands at the end of a rope, or a bodkin-a sailors tool used to punch holes in cloth.

Its a whale bone Marlin spike used by sailors to untie knots.

I think we've already established this Mainedigger.Marlin spike or fid,same thing.