“Hazard a Guess” will take a holiday hiatus in the issues of Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. Of course, you can still Hazard a Guess on Item No. 851, but we won’t publish any answers until the Jan. 8 issue.
In the meantime, use some of your Christmas spirit to root around in your closets, garages, sheds and attics for your own Hazard-ous items to submit in the new year.
Until then, have a Wonderful New Year!
Hello from Hazard!
Hazard readers have been pretty silent on Item No. 850. Three lonely guesses trickled in, but there’s no consensus on what the item could be.
John Shaffer of Venango, Pa., suggested that it is a table-mounted wine bottle corker. He writes: Pinching the forks opens the bottom to allow the bottle neck to be inserted. Then it is held by the rubber when the forks are released. The rod inserts the cork when the handle is turned.
James Miller of Louisville, Ohio also guessed it could a device for corking bottles.
But Bill Takacs hazarded a different guess. He thinks it looks like a saw set for setting the pitch of the hand saw blade after sharpening.
Ann Wishart, the owner of Item No. 850, isn’t sure about its use, either, so this could be another Hazard item to go down in uncertainty.
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We’re moving on to Item No. 851 this week. Sent in by Ray Burger of Louisville, Ohio, the item is sharp on the bottom and works like scissors. Does it look familiar to anyone?
Send your responses to: Hazard a Guess, P.O. Box 38, Salem, OH 44460; or via e-mail to: editorial@farmanddairy.com. Be sure to include your name, hometown and state.
Is it an instrument used to clean barn gutters?
Sorry, it’s a hay knife.