✅ SOLVED some kind of farm implement or equestrian gear...

[cti4sw]

Looks like leather (I initially thought wood) that was once riveted into this thing... Above the hole on one side is the makers mark "American". No other markings are visible. I took it to work today to get a look at the material under a microscope, here are the images from that:





It would need some heavy electrolysis cleaning in order to figure out if the rivets have MMs on them as well. I got some better measurement images too:


In case you can't see, it's about 10mm thick


Approximate dimensions are 5" x 2"

Hope these help! Hoping for a positive ID from one of you!

 

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[skeeterd]

How thick is it?

 

[cti4sw]

From side to side, 1/2 to 3/4" tops... Each - I'm gonna call it a clasp - is about 1/8" thick, the remaining material fastened inside is about 1/16" to 1/8".

 

[skeeterd]

Hmm... Are you certain the other material is wood?

 

[cti4sw]

Nope

 

[cti4sw]

When I checked it again, the material had tons of little fibers coming out of it, so my guess it's old leather and not wood... Never seen fibrous wood like that.

When I get to work tomorrow I'll try to get some microscope pics of the "leather" for you

 

[skeeterd]

I was thinking "razor strop", but after looking on google images, I'm don't think so.

 

[TimC]

Maybe an end to a leather strap that surrounded a leather bag. The hole may be for a lock.

 

[skeeterd]

I googled "american hardware company" and came up with a catalog of 1865. I don't know how look at the images in the catalog tho. Maybe its in there.

 

[cti4sw]

I might add that the park is about 200 yards from a historic homestead, and that the park used to be farmland

 

[cti4sw]

Pics added, post updated

 

[skeeterd]

Thanks for the extra pics. For some reason, this looks familiar. I'm really wanting to know what it is!

 

[cti4sw]

Yeah, same... Someone at work suggested posting it on Kovels.com (an antique collectors forum), so I did, hopefully I can get some kind of ID

 

[cti4sw]

It's not equestrian. A colleague who has professionally bred and raced horses has confirmed this.

 

[skeeterd]

I've spent my entire life around horses, mostly in the agriculture industry. I've learned that there are so many different uses of horses that the types of tools, equipment, tack ect. are endless. So I wouldn't rule out equestrian use just yet. I'm still trying to find hardware catologs from the 19th and early 20th centuries. If nothing else, there maybe something in there to point us in the right direction.

 

[cti4sw]

Awesome thanks

 

[thepoolguy]

i think it may be off from and old commercial playground swing. the ones that have a strap that bunches your butt cheeks together and holds your piles in. heres a pic of one like it. not a good pic but you can see the shape. also you can see some egg shaping to the top of the hole on yours as though it were hooked to a chain. another thought would be a belt off from an antique weight loss machine.... the kind that jiggles you.

 

[thepoolguy]

ooops.......just reread the posts and i see it was founnd in a park. i would say for sure its a swing.

 

[cti4sw]

i think it may be off from and old commercial playground swing. the ones that have a strap that bunches your butt cheeks together and holds your piles in. heres a pic of one like it. not a good pic but you can see the shape. also you can see some egg shaping to the top of the hole on yours as though it were hooked to a chain. another thought would be a belt off from an antique weight loss machine.... the kind that jiggles you.

That's awesome.. Ironically, the current swingset is across the park, but I've heard that town fairs used to be held there. I did happen to find pieces of swingset chain nearby, too. Thanks!

 

[skeeterd]

I knew I recognized that from some where! Where I grew up, there was an old one room school house where community events were held. That is the type of swings we played on there.