Old boot jack thingy

[Plyerman]

No markings at all on this one. Measures 12-1/2 inches long. For those days when you've been wrenching on your buggy all day, pounding and pulling nails, and have trouble getting your boots off when you get home. Anybody seen one before?

[Lewill2]

No hammer or nail puller but I'll raise you 2 wrench sizes. I had an absentee bid in on one something like that last year but I was out bid.

[Plyerman]

Well those two certainly do look related. Same size, same arrangement, and even the same tapered wrench slot near the center.

[turnnut]

 I just checked out 45 boot jack patents and neither of those two showed up ?

 they might be listed under another category.  like the Anthony I ske's tool.

 patent number 136601  is called a "Compound Implement"  stated that it could be used as;

 boot jack, corn sheller, hammer, tack puller and as a wrench for certain purposes ???

 check it out at DATAMP.   and at the picture, there is 1  2  3   above the picture, make sure that you also check picture no. 2

 Larry meeker sold one like Lewill's and had no extra info on it.     

[turnnut]

just found a listing for last years tool auction at the Horst Auction Center, Ephrata, PA

ITEM # 216;  RARE, Anthony iske's patented combination hand corn sheller/ boot jack, Anthony Iske inventor was from Lancaster City.
he devised a tool that was to have a hinged jaw, however that form may not have been produced.  this piece is cast iron 8 5/8"
overall length w/boot hooks at one end. hammer & claw, hammer, screwdriver at opposite end, w/corn sheller/wrench found in the
center. unknown maker. (Tannehill research)   sold for $

this sounds like the one in the 2nd picture mentioned in my last post.   ? I think one like this was on tool talk before ??

TAKE NOTICE;  Horst Auction Center's tool auction for 2016 will be on March 26,  Ephrata, PA  (THERE ARE PICTURES ON HIS SITE)

[Lewill2]

Turnnut, I posted the pictures of the one Horst Auctions sold. They were selling a collection that a guy had collected and researched on mostly Lancaster Co, PA made items. He attributed the multi tool/boot Jack to Iske. I don't believe that is true as there are examples like the patent out there. Horst actually sold 3 examples of that Iske?? combination tool over several months. I have one of them. I'm not totally convinced it is all that old. Horst sold them per the previous owners notes and he had small write ups on most of his collection. A lot of axes were in his inventory. He usually showed up at Browns Auctions with his camera in hand taking pictures of every axe or hatchet that had a touch mark or was signed. He would take tracings of the touch marks and signatures on some. If I remember the story correctly he was a college professor at one point in his life. Another great research person gone to the tool collectors club in the beyond. 

[mvwcnews]

No hammer or nail puller but I'll raise you 2 wrench sizes. I had an absentee bid in on one something like that last year but I was out bid.

Les,
The one you note is pictured in Wullweber  --  plyerman's is not.

Sometimes the thought comes to me -- there are places in the U.S. where small scale "artisan" iron foundry work is still being done & I recall the sleuth work P.T. Rathbone did to run down the provenance of some Pennsylvania "fakes."

[Aunt Phil]

No hammer or nail puller but I'll raise you 2 wrench sizes. I had an absentee bid in on one something like that last year but I was out bid.

Les,
The one you note is pictured in Wullweber  --  plyerman's is not.

Sometimes the thought comes to me -- there are places in the U.S. where small scale "artisan" iron foundry work is still being done & I recall the sleuth work P.T. Rathbone did to run down the provenance of some Pennsylvania "fakes."

Depending on this months status of brawl between Jake and EPA, there may be 1 Amish foundry in Pa still pouring small melt iron & bronze.  Someplace I have the number for the pay phone hanging on Jake's wall.

[Bill Houghton]

Is Cattail the foundry you're thinking of, Aunt Phil?  I've never used Cattail, but have heard great things about them.  I could get the contact information once the Old Woodworking Machines forum comes back up from its maintenance today; OWWM members use them a lot.

[Plyerman]

Hmmm, mine has traces of hard black japaning on it in the nooks and crannies. It looks 100+ years old. But I suppose even that could be faked if a person wanted to badly enough.

[Aunt Phil]

Is Cattail the foundry you're thinking of, Aunt Phil?  I've never used Cattail, but have heard great things about them.  I could get the contact information once the Old Woodworking Machines forum comes back up from its maintenance today; OWWM members use them a lot.

That's the one.
Fine workmanship & for a few bucks more you move to the head of the line when you explain the need.

Once you get hooked into the Amish network you can get things accomplished that first line American manufacturers swear are impossible.  You can even send emails back and forth if you know about the Amish Internet.

[Plyerman]

I found a photo of these same boot jack tools in the June 1991 MVWC newsletter. Looks like even back then they were trying to find more information out about them.