Another what's this question

[John B]

Seen hanging on the wall outside an old Cornish smithy, and the person who sent me the picture would like to know what it is,

 

Suggestions so far,

 

Ear ring for one of the Cornish giants, maybe Cormelian,

 

Piskie tether if you catch one

 

Counterweight off hand powered bellows to balance air pressure and make the bellows easier to pump.

 

Or maybe you know the real use?

 

Others possibilities invited.

 

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[the iron dwarf]

it is a hook for picking children up by a nostril, some have 2 hooks  <_<

[Frank Turley]

Homemade steelyard weight (counter balance).

[Judson Yaggy]

How big is it?  Shepard's crook tip before being cut off the parent stock and welded to a socket? I know that's not the general way of making socketed tools but the shape reminds me of crooks.

[Jim Coke]

Greetings John,

Here comes my 2c worth..  I think it is a weight for tossing a rope into the crotch of a tree so that you can secure it for cutting..  A simple loop makes it so it won't get stuck and fall to the ground with the rope..  That's what I got...

 

Forge on and make beautiful things

Jim

[Charles R. Stevens]

J Y,
I'd just forge my socket from the knob. Them one would have a gaff.
If its a finished item, and the egg shaped knob leads me to think it is. I think it's a hook for handling something, not shaped right for a hay hook, but a butchers gaff comes to mind.

[John B]

Thanks all so far, Size is 9" x 2.25" (22cm x 6cm) I am informed.

[ThorsHammer82]

kinda looks like it might just be a counterweight. maybe for a self closing door, or a curtain lift of something. something that the speed needs to be easily adjustable based on the job at hand. weight pulls the door closed, but when it's hot, you just pull the weight off the ring and it stays open. Want it to close faster or stay closed on a windy day? add more weight.

[John B]

kinda looks like it might just be a counterweight. maybe for a self closing door, or a curtain lift of something. something that the speed needs to be easily adjustable based on the job at hand. weight pulls the door closed, but when it's hot, you just pull the weight off the ring and it stays open. Want it to close faster or stay closed on a windy day? add more weight.

 

I think this is probably the best option so far, I also was thinking along those lines, as well as the bellows counterbalance,

 

the size of the crook on top would indicate it neeeding to have easy access to wherever it fits,

 

Thanks for all the responses so far

[Dan P.]

A loom weight?

[Dan P.]

Or a sack/bale hook?

[Dan P.]

A guide for getting tightly furled napkins into napkin rings that a bit too small?

[Dan P.]

A hook for retrieving buckets accidentally dropped down a well?

 

1. Throw hook down well

2. With a rope, lower smallest person you can catch down into well to grab the hook.

3. Hope the bucket catches on the hook while you pull small person back up

4. Repeat until successful

[jmccustomknives]

It's a thingamajig that goes with a watchamacallit used to pick up zippidadoda's.  Idk, it looks to me like a hook for handling stock.  Being outside it wouldn't suprise me to find it was something to do with shoeing horses.

[bikecopXXX]

maybe a bell clapper?