I haven't seen this one before. I did try to find it in a couple of older catalogs but couldn't see it there. It looks like mid 60s vintage maybe but I don't know. Can anyone tell me about this one?

Just a blunt end?

It's blunt but not flat. Conical I guess.

Might be a burnisher.

Looks like a super-tuff handle.  Don't know what it is.  Do not remember seeing a burnisher in the old catalogs.  Maybe a screwdriver with the tip cut off?  Any other markings on the handle.

I'd venture a guess at socket cross bar, but don't recall Cman sockets having that opening.

It's a bit fat and heavy for a screwdriver, with the diameter being about 3/8". Overall length is just 8". I suppose it could have been a much longer shaft that has been cut, as mentioned,  but if that were so I would expect the handle to be larger for a shaft this size.
I couldn't see any other markings other than the Craftsman name. I even held it in the light to see if there was a number or anything that used to be there but had just lost it's paint. I could not see any sign of that either.

I wasn't sure what a burnisher is, but I looked it up and I think you have it. I'll go with that, it makes sense. I'll try a little harder to find one in the catalog with that info. Thanks.

kxxr,

Could it be a sharpening steel for putting a fine edge on a knife?

The handle is pre-1960, perhaps pre-1950.  Is there a series code (makers mark) on the handle?

Quote from: lauver on January 01, 2012, 11:21:36 AM
Could it be a sharpening steel for putting a fine edge on a knife?

The blade doesn't look long enough to be a sharpening steel to me...

Could be as simple as a phillips that never made it to the final grind. 
I have found the small insert type tips that didn't make the final grind either.

Even though I have not seen one that new, it looks like a burnisher to me.

Burnishers are made with very hard steel.  You could ee if you can scratch it with a piece of steel.

Sears did have a sharpening steel, but this is only a few years ago.  I think it was WF.

And notice how much longer the blade is on TP's steel...

I'm going for burnisher -- for working scraper blades.  I've never seen one with a plastic handle, but the dimensions look right.