Does anyone have any idea what this could have been made for? Looks real early, blacksmith made. Kind of looks like bull nose pliers but the long spike on the bottom has me stumped. Measures about 12" long total.

It's a jar opener and pointy thing is to keep the husband out of the canned peaches.

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sorry  got the sillies tonight, neat tool tho

compass to draw a circle with.

Looks like a bull nose lead device there is a piece missing that locks the two handles together and a lead rope. The sharp point might be used to make the hole in the nose for a ring   

Quote from: amertrac on September 03, 2013, 03:47:45 PM
Looks like a bull nose lead device there is a piece missing that locks the two handles together and a lead rope. The sharp point might be used to make the hole in the nose for a ring

or to poke him in the eye if he gets onry.

I would guess the point (tang) goes into a long handle (with a ferrule to prevent splitting) and a rope passes tied to one loop passes through the other to close the pliers - hence a bull leader without its handle or rope...

They all look rather unpleasant if you are the bull.

Farrier's hoof tester, used to apply pressure to the sole to check for bruising. The pointed end could be for picking out packed in dirt and other debris.

That's my guess, based on the size and how they are made.

If you clamped those on a bull, seems like the jaws would cause more pain than compliance due to the ends not being rounded like more bull leads.

Quote from: keykeeper on September 05, 2013, 06:34:05 AMIf you clamped those on a bull, seems like the jaws would cause more pain than compliance due to the ends not being rounded like more bull leads.

Judging by the age of these, they are pre-rounded ends - smith made - it is the (increase in) pain that made the animal compliant - animal welfare was not a priority at that time...

Quote from: Billman49 on September 05, 2013, 09:05:52 AM

Quote from: keykeeper on September 05, 2013, 06:34:05 AMIf you clamped those on a bull, seems like the jaws would cause more pain than compliance due to the ends not being rounded like more bull leads.

Judging by the age of these, they are pre-rounded ends - smith made - it is the (increase in) pain that made the animal compliant - animal welfare was not a priority at that time...

So, how do you know the age of these? Were they carbon-dated? I can make a set to look just like them, bury them in some adicic soil for a while, dig them up and brush them off to make them look the same.

Who wants a bull bleeding from the nose, anyway, regardless of time frame? Pain compliance only works for a short time, too much and the animal (or person, in my experience) gets a rush of adrenaline that pushed them right through the pain. I was taught pain-compliance for humans at my training academy some years ago. The idea is to drop the level of pain, after compliance is achieved, not permanently injure the subject.

I will agree they were hand forged.

I still say hoof tester.

Today most bulls have a nose ring fitted, and have a clip on lead. However, for some bulls a staff is recommended, as it holds the bull away from the person leading it. Ropes are only used for docile bulls. ("....however, bull staffs give you more control and are recommended, especially for dominant bulls" ref: http://www.wikihow.com/Handle-Bulls-Safely-and-Responsibly)

For cows, steers and calfs removable grips are usually used, i.e. the nose is not pierced for a ring - these may be used with a rope or a staff (as for bulls).

Hoof tester would be my guess also.  All the bull leaders I have seen have the rounded ends and don't require piercing the nose but if someone wants to use that pointed end to pierce a bull's nose don't ask me to hold the bull.  :-) 

The problem I have in accepting the hoof tester is that there are loops at the ends of the legs of the thing.  To me, they appear to serve the same function as the loops on the commercially made leader.   Loops are easily done, sure, but it's a fair amount of extra work on the leg with the spiky end. 
Maybe we need to look at more examples of blacksmith made bull leaders. 

Another problem for me is that the ends of the pincers on this example are rounded, while all the hoof testers are squared off.