✅ SOLVED What is this??? Viking nail and ear cleaning tool

[Blkcloud]

Another md’r found this , and can’t quite figure out what it is.. and ideas?

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Upgraded Night Vision Monocular Digital Infrared Monocular Telescope for 100% Darkness with 8X Zoom - Grab it through Amazon!

[Kray Gelder]

Your nuts have meat in them ? ? ?

:/

:P

Until I ran them through this.

 

[Emil W]

Definitely not Viking and not for ear cleaning.

Nothing about the style and construction points to Viking. Earwax tools are invariably spoon or scoop shaped.

 

[Gene Mean]

In my daughter's cultural anthropology class today the professor showed them an image of an ear and teeth cleaning tool from the Jamestown Virginia settlement. Scoop on one end and pick on the other, and a hole in the middle for carrying on a necklace or loop. My daughter said that it was an "M" shaped device, similar to the business end of yours. Below is the link.

Ear Picker | Historic Jamestowne

Visit the real thing at Historic Jamestowne, explore the actual location and active archaeological dig, Jamestown Rediscovery, home of the first successful English settlement.

historicjamestowne.org

 

[pepperj]

I have always found some things they name so um... heh
The item pictured / listed on the site is Spanish... although it says that it also says 2 other countries of origin... which shows the lack of knowledge.
It also says for "earwax"... heh... why dont you try that in your ear and see if that works for you.
Its for Snuff....And the other is a pick... for teeth nails whatever.

The Archies really crack me up sometimes.

With that said... the ops piece is NOT the same.

It could be for snuff, or ear stuff.
This silver one is only 30yrs old.
Silversmith stated what it was, ear/nail cleaner.

 

[bowwinkles]

Turn of the century ladies wore dresses that required a tool to aid in tightening the laces around the waist. This very much resembles one of those tools.

 

[unclemac]

the hole in the middle throws me, was it use driven? What context did you find it in?

 

[Retired Sarge]

Could it be a multi-purpose tool of the period for women? Use it for tightening corsets, boot laces, buttons, etc?

 

[Kray Gelder]

It would be handy for cracking and eating walnuts or pecans. The wide tip for inserting in the base of the shell and twisting to open, and the other two for getting the nut meat out.

 

[Blkcloud]

Bring as this was from the UK.. I believe this to be the answer, someone posted this and I’m going with it! Lol

 

[BAW]

Another md’r found this , and can’t quite figure out what it is.. and ideas?

It resembles a 17th/18th century knapping tool, used for touching up the edge of a gunflint. That is assuming that it is made of iron. Do an image search for "knapping tool" and you will find similar examples.

 

[ARC]

In my daughter's cultural anthropology class today the professor showed them an image of an ear and teeth cleaning tool from the Jamestown Virginia settlement. Scoop on one end and pick on the other, and a hole in the middle for carrying on a necklace or loop. My daughter said that it was an "M" shaped device, similar to the business end of yours. Below is the link.

Ear Picker | Historic Jamestowne

Visit the real thing at Historic Jamestowne, explore the actual location and active archaeological dig, Jamestown Rediscovery, home of the first successful English settlement.

historicjamestowne.org

I have always found some things they name and claim so um... heh
The item pictured / listed on the site is Spanish... although it says that it also says 2 other countries of origin... which shows the lack of knowledge.
It also says for "earwax"... heh... why dont you try that in your ear and see if that works for you.
Its for Snuff....And the other is a pick... for teeth nails whatever.

The Archies really crack me up sometimes.

With that said... the ops piece is not one in the same.

 

[ARC]

Guess the Jamestown Archies STILL discount those finds... due to the whole "they did not find it"

What they have is a snuff spoon... even though they are called "earwax tool" by those who want to "pad" the history.

here is an exact replica of one from Atocha wreck site that was gold.

 

[Tpmetal]

now that is something I have never seen before. Some sort of tool obviously, but for what I have no idea. Looks silver maybe?

 

[pepperj]

Given it has three different ends I'm thinking along the lines of nail cleaner for the double end. and ear cleaner for the single end.

 

[Retired Sarge]

I was going to say a pipe cleaner....!

 

[Red-Coat]

I was going to say a pipe cleaner....!

It's a good thought, but I've never seen a pipe cleaner with a business end like that, and it's difficult to imagine how it would function as such.

It looks to me like it has been ornately styled on an ice pick in miniature, which leads me to believe it might be a vintage drink stirrer/olive stick for martini-type cocktails. I can't find anything similar, although there are numerous novelty stirrers modelled on other things.

 

[releventchair]

I don't know what it is either.

Size might hint of a watch fob /keeper for someone in the mining or railroad industry. With the as prior mentioned potential to be a pipe cleaner / tamper.

 

[giuhalftrack]

may be the context of the finding will help... I don't know but I was thinking about a tool to eat/open clamshells

 

[djackson7348]

may be the context of the finding will help... I don't know but I was thinking about a tool to eat/open clamshells

If we knew the metal type/hardness it might help narrow down the possibilities. example, if silver it would be too soft to pry something open.