We heard from John Paglialunga Jr. on Item No. 1077. He says it was a tool that was used to staple bows onto a purse or shoes. “My father used this in his shoe repaid shop in the 1950-60s,” he adds.
That matches with what owner Wayne Cooper had been told (that it was used to punch holes in leather, although no one was certain as to the exact application).
Thanks, John, for clarifying the tool’s use.
Item No. 1078 comes from Ed Homer, of Transfer, Pennsylvania, who has collected primitives for some time, but this one has him stumped. The unusual walnut piece is 14 inches wide and 11 inches tall. The two hand rollers have carved gears on the end, and then taper down to the other side of the piece. The wedge-like piece under the rollers can be adjusted up or down.
What do you say, Hazard team? Email your responses to editorial@farmanddairy.com; or respond by mail to: Hazard a Guess, c/o Farm and Dairy, P.O. Box 38, Salem, OH 44460.
Do you have something in your kitchen, basement, shed or barn that you think would be a good item for Hazard a Guess? Send us a photo or attach a digital file to an email. Be sure to include complete dimensions and description, including markings, as well as an explanation of how the item was used. Send photos to the contact information listed above.
