Purchased at my local flea market just because I liked it ! I think its made in Germany as it marked DR. Could it be something to do with tagging cows ears ?

Hello, Ric. That is a neat looking tool!! Are there legible numbers on the handle??

No sorry to blurred

By a strange coincidence I purchased this book at the same flea market on the same day with a picture of a man holding  the mystery tool on the front cover !

I though this is going to be easy, just look in the book. Unfortunately it doesn't say !!

<img src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ECbuCA6zL._SX345_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" alt="Bygones 5: Amazon.co.uk: Joice, Dick: 9780851151342: Books"/>

That fellow looks like he is stumped too.

Apparently his name is Dick Joice and he had a t.v. program way back in the 1970's on Anglia TV (Regional UK TV channel for East Anglia), called "Bygones" and every week he had a mystery item competition, no prizes for guessing what it was in the episode in the photo !

So does it look as if I have beaten you ?

Not yet Ric!  First we're going to request more photos from different angles, as well as a detailed description of the movement when you squeeze the handles together.
Thanks.
Al
It does look to me as if it is meant to fold and then punch a hole or at least dimple a piece of metal.

Ok I will take some more photos today and upload them

 I have seen one a long time ago, and i believe that it was for inserting nails/pins and bending them over to form a loop,for lacing up shoes.
Cheers

More photos

Quote from: Danks on September 08, 2020, 04:49:22 AM
I have seen one a long time ago, and i believe that it was for inserting nails/pins and bending them over to form a loop,for lacing up shoes.
Cheers

I was thinking something along the same lines -- looks like a shoe button, hook, or eyelet tool.

I have found a couple of similar looking items on picclick UK, both indicate shoe makers tool

https://picclick.co.uk/Antique-Vintage-Shoemaker-Leather-Working-Cobblers-Tools-20-254638107598.html#&gid=1&pid=11
https://picclick.co.uk/Vintage-Shoe-Makers-Cobblers-Leather-Worker-Saddlery-264416893194.html
Cheers

Fits the tool collectors adage:

All  unknown tools are either nutcrackers or leather working tools

So it looks as if its leather work related - however what is it used for ?