This was in a box of tools I got today at an auction, have no clue what its for.

Well, to answer your post's title question, you're a guy who finds interesting stuff in the wild and then wanders over here for help when you can't figure out what it is.

As to what the thing you found is...I have no clue at all.

looks like some sort of splitter to me. I can't tell the size.

Quote from: amertrac on July 20, 2013, 05:51:21 PM
looks like some sort of splitter to me. I can't tell the size.

Its only 8 or 9 inches long.

Looks like some sort of (fencing?) staple remover - packing crate opener - struck with a hammer...

I have seen them before, cannot offer any help above the staple puller.

Could it be some sort of can opener, or used to open a similar container?  Hold the long handle, with pointed tip against the lid, and push on the knob with your other hand to start a cut.

What other tools were in the box? I am thinking that if there is at least one other tool that was in the box that appears to be of similar age/condition that they may have been originally acquired together and relate to each other in their use.

My impression of it is that the balled end is a striking surface meant to be hit hard from different angles to aid the chiseled end in it work. Some how it looks to me like something a fossil hunter or mineral collector might use.

Quote from: Helleri on July 22, 2013, 11:20:22 AM
What other tools were in the box?

Mostly a bunch of rusted up tools, the workers just grabbed whatever was laying around in the falling down barns and boxing them up. There was lots of horse drawn machinery at that action, I was kinda thinking it had a purpose with one of those, but I don't know.

hmm...In your place, I would still inspect the other stuff that came with it, if you still have them (you did say they were rusted out). If they threw it all into boxes randomly before the auction...probably was not so random that related tools wouldn't wind up in the same box. That is just a by product of smart packing. You keep a box with you throw everything near you into it until the box is filled, then grab another box. If it was sitting on something next to things used with it, those things probably went into the same box.

Maybe it is a key of some kind? maybe one or more of those machines had a drive slot on a bolt head that was cut in at an angle so as to fit that tool, and required a lot of torque to tighten down and loosen up. One might hold the knob bearing down while turning the handle to tighten a strangely slotted bolt in place or to break it loose. I have seen freeze plugs that require tools that are stranger still so it wouldn't surprise me.

I showed the picture to my neighbor and he didn't know either, and like me he has seen them too.
If it was farm related I thought he would know.

This is some of the stuff from the box,




and these glass thingy's, the 2 in the middle are upsidedown. What are they for?

The glass thingies are vintage glass furniture casters.
https://www.google.com/search?q=vintage+glass+furniture+casters&client=firefox-a&hs=D4s&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=YD70UeG6EJWj4AO2goDwCA&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=547

Quote from: Papaw on July 27, 2013, 04:42:53 PM
The glass thingies are vintage glass furniture casters.
https://www.google.com/search?q=vintage+glass+furniture+casters&client=firefox-a&hs=D4s&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=YD70UeG6EJWj4AO2goDwCA&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=547

That makes sence to me now, there was 4 rubber ones mixed in with these. I have never heard of glass casters, thanks.

Quote from: Papaw on July 27, 2013, 04:42:53 PM
The glass thingies are vintage glass furniture casters.
https://www.google.com/search?q=vintage+glass+furniture+casters&client=firefox-a&hs=D4s&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=YD70UeG6EJWj4AO2goDwCA&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=547

Not so much casters as carpet protectors: they spread the load from the furniture feet so the carpet doesn't get mashed.  They did also serve to make it easier to slide a table over carpet/the floor, but that was kind of secondary.  The rubber ones emphasized NOT sliding, while still spreading the load.