This curious item was at the bottom of a box of tools I picked up at an estate sale. It consists of a steel base with a fabric laminate top. It measures 5"x1-7/8"x1-3/8". The steel base is 3/4" thick and the fabric laminate is 5/8" thick. It appears to have the remnants of some adhesive on the bottom.

Is it some sort of strop?

Or sanding block.

A sanding block or a weight to hold you work down (a third hand)

Razor strop. <_<

Not sure what it is for but the top laminate looks like a piece of original westinghouse micarta and it would not make a good strop.

OK. Micarta (I had to look it up) looks correct. I wonder what the heck it was used for. ????

I'm sure the guy who made it had a specific use in mind -- but we will likely never know for sure what that was. :)

Gluing weight? Used with a glue that reacts with steel and so the micarta "cap"?

Trycarta? Home made micarta?

Gluing weight seems reasonable, same with sanding block.

Phil