Some sort of tool?

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

A friend bought this at our cricket club car boot sale today. Anyone know what it is?
About 18in long and signs of having been hammered longitudinally at the end of the handle.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Presumably to detach it … which suggests that, in use,  it wedges into position.

Mmmm

MichaelG.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

large nail lifter??

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

I doubt a nail lifter.

It does not look strong enough, nor really the right shape. It has no evident fulcrum, and the taper might go the wrong way for larger nails needing more leverage.

Perhaps a nail-cutter though, with its cutting edges long since worn away. Slaters use something similar although with open hooks so it can be inserted under a slate and hooked round the nail to be sheared.

The hammering, on an eye clearly intended only for hanging it up, was likely abuse – by someone trying to use it for a purpose not as the manufacturer intended.

Culinary perhaps. Until the invention of stainless-steel, kitchen implements were of carbon-steel.

Or maybe a gardening / horticultural tool?

[GeorgineerParticipant @georgineer]

It’s a grostling iron.

George

[Martin Johnson 1Participant @martinjohnson1]

The internet and me don’t know what grostling is.  Perhaps rambling Sid Rumpo or George could enlighten us all.

Martin

[SandgrounderParticipant @sandgrounder]

The ones I’ve seen and used in the past were made of stainless steel and it’s ‘shackle tightening key’, made like it is to fit shackles of different sizes.

John

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126452181706?chn=ps&_ul=GB&norover=1&mkscid=101&itemid=126452181706&targetid=2448003509029&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9197811&poi=&campaignid=23761664878&mkgroupid=195482660557&rlsatarget=pla-2448003509029&abcId=10674693&merchantid=425228672&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23761664878

 

 

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Thanks John, but do shackles come this big – the hole is about 2 in at the thick end.

[Sandgrounder]

On Sandgrounder Said:

The ones I’ve seen and used in the past were made of stainless steel and it’s ‘shackle tightening key’, made like it is to fit shackles of different sizes.

John

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126452181706?chn=ps&_ul=GB&norover=1&mkscid=101&itemid=126452181706&targetid=2448003509029&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9197811&poi=&campaignid=23761664878&mkgroupid=195482660557&rlsatarget=pla-2448003509029&abcId=10674693&merchantid=425228672&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23761664878

 

 

You beat me to it.  Yes, I wondered that?  Like you see on a Marlin Spike.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Big enough?

https://www.google.com/search?q=big+shackle&oq=big+shackle&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyCQgAEEUYORiABDIHCAEQABiABDIHCAIQABiABDIICAMQABgWGB4yCAgEEAAYFhgeMggIBRAAGBYYHjIICAYQABgWGB4yCAgHEAAYFhgeMggICBAAGBYYHjIICAkQABgWGB4yCAgKEAAYFhgeMggICxAAGBYYHjIICAwQABgWGB4yCAgNEAAYFhgeMggIDhAAGBYYHtIBCTEwNDEyajBqN6gCFLACAfEFWDiAr7Ce7YI&client=ms-android-samsung-ss&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#sv=CAMScRoyKhBlLWtRNXJReExwaVQ1Z21NMg5rUTVyUXhMcGlUNWdtTToOc2d1ZEhBY3QtblBUU00gBCoxChtfcUNjVGFzTGZMX1hyaGJJUDhjM1M2UUVfMzQSEGUta1E1clF4THBpVDVnbU0YADABSgQIARACGAcg9KeAjwdKCBACGAEgAigB

[FulmenParticipant @fulmen]

I agree it can look like a shackle wrench, but the bent handle suggests it’s something else.

[Fulmen]

On Fulmen Said:

I agree it can look like a shackle wrench, but the bent handle suggests it’s something else.

Maybe not if it was made for a specific machine and was stored on a ‘custom hook’?

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, it may or may not be a shackle wrench, but I’ve never seen an object like the one in the photo. I’ve used shackles all my working life, and only really used an adjustable spanner, although I’ve seen others using Stillson’s, Mole grips & their clones, pogy bars in the hole of the pin, and a number of other similar tools, I’ve also never seen any of the mobile crane companies that have been used on jobs that I’ve been on use such an Item in the photo, of course that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a shackle wrench, but why buy one when an adjustable will do, as it’s not needed to cram the pin up to Kingdom-come. It might have had a scale along the opening, for quick measuring the diameter of bolts or round bar, perhaps.

Regards Nick.

[not done it yet]

On not done it yet Said:

Maybe not if it was made for a specific machine and was stored on a ‘custom hook’?

Everything is possible of course, but if it were made for a specific machine it probably wouldn’t be a “one size fits all” wrench. Besides it doesn’t look beefy enough considering it’s size.

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

We’ve got something exactly that shape but smaller and made of plastic which is a holder for disposable dusters…

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

I assume someone had tried Google lens on it.  I never cease to be amazed at the arcane stuff it can find

[FulmenParticipant @fulmen]

I tried that, didn’t give any good matches.

Hard to tell from the photo, is it stamped sheet or forged?

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

A shackle wrench is a good one and yes they do make them that big I use ones with a 1.5″ pin. But an early version of a spanner for many sizes was my guess. Noel.

[Kiwi BlokeParticipant @kiwibloke62605]

This sort of tapered-slot tool crops up in several areas of activity where things need to be undone. Often, one side of the tapered slot is serrated (useful on bottle tops). I suppose they’re intended to be used when no proper engineer is looking. In the ‘Dictionary of woodworking tools’ by R A Salaman, there’s an illustration of one very like the OP’s, with a similarly cranked handle, but without a bulbous end to the handle. There is no indication of size. It’s described as a home-made example, under the sub-heading ‘Adjustable Axle Cap and Nut Wrench’. What the hapless axle nuts were attached to is not given… So, not specific to shackles, but a general-purpose ‘undoer and doer-upper’ it seems.

[Kiwi Bloke]

On Kiwi Bloke Said:

This sort of tapered-slot tool crops up in several areas of activity where things need to be undone.

Consider the relationship between fastener diameter and required torque.

If it is for turning things (including shackles), it is strangely engineered as the small end (lower torque requirement) is furthest from where it would be gripped.

[Kiwi BlokeParticipant @kiwibloke62605]

Oh, it seems I can edit a post, and delete all the text, but not erase all evidence of the post.

I was just pointing out that, whether well-designed or not, the things actually work. But then I thought the post was pointless… Apologies for wasting your time.

[Kiwi Bloke]

On Kiwi Bloke Said:

Oh, it seems I can edit a post, and delete all the text, but not erase all evidence of the post.

I was just pointing out that, whether well-designed or not, the things actually work. But then I thought the post was pointless… Apologies for wasting your time.

Hello Jeremy,
My thoughts exactly.  My post, about a specific machine, was that it could have been something agricultural (like a threshing box?).

RAB

[DC31k]

On DC31k Said:

If it is for turning things (including shackles), it is strangely engineered as the small end (lower torque requirement) is furthest from where it would be gripped.

[ Let’s have another go, after previous editing debacle…]

Actually, it’s a subtle and clever design. The wedge-slot self-tightens on the item to be turned as torque is applied. This happens whether the narrow part of the slot is nearest or furthest from the handle. In practice, narrow-end-away works best. Narrow-end-near handle tends to let go with a ‘bang’, possibly causing injury. With a shallow taper, these things can grip surprisingly well, thus evidence of hammer blows to the handle is of no surprise.

[John MCParticipant @johnmc39344]

The idea that it might be for tightening shackles got me thinking.  Could it be a “one size fits all” spanner?  Something like this?

I carry this in my “universal” motorcycle toolkit.  Its rather flimsy, I’ve tried it with the smaller sizes but wouldn’t rate it’s chances against an M8 or bigger thread.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi DC31K, good point, however, having used many spanners of almost all sizes in my day jobs, normally you would be pulling on the opposite end of what you are doing up and/or undoing, therefore it makes sense for having the taper the way it is, as it would be naturally drawn onto the pin flat.

I’ve had a look at all my catalogues that supply tools to industry, and have not found anything like it, not even in the sections that sold shackles.

One thing I’ve thought of is a bracket for a hanging basket, where you would chase out the mortar between bricks, and then insert it with some fresh mortar, or other suitable filler, but that’s just a wild guess.

Regards Nick.

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