I was looking through some old tools that I inherited from my father-in-law and came across this one:
Any thoughts?
top one looks like a sugar hammer maybe.
Prospector's hammer ??
Used for forming leather perhaps as in shoes? Don
I agree with Don, I seen have a similar tool used to stretch the leather tight over an edge before being secured. Alan R
A toffee hammer?
father-in-law
Yes definately a leather working tool - my grandfather had an identical one.
AWEM
Very interesting replies. As we also inherited two cobblers lasts, one of those three footed ones and a single footed from the days when he did his own shoe repairs the leather tool does seem very likely.
Thanks for the comments.
They are both for melting and spreading out wax around the heels and soles of leather shoes following repair. You heat them up on a gas ring or blowlamp, apply a wax stick to them then quickly apply the melted wax to the leather.
I have several and also made some of my own out of copper contacts from large breakers. These however are purpose made.
Though some people have the misfortune to have only one foot, I've never heard of anyone having three feet.
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According to Rolf Harris, Jake-the-leg had an extra leg so presumably he also had three feet.
Cic.
Ah! but he was Manx. ;-)
Ah, that's how you are supposed to do it! I've been melting candles in a saucepan; slopping the wax on quick and rough with a brush, and then melting it into cloth/leather with a hair dryer...
S
No idea what the top item is, but I think the bottom one might be some sort of measuring instrument like a tape measure, ;)
They are irons for melting a wax like substance called "Heelbor or Ell bore" This came in a stick like sealing wax. It was held in a gas flame and when soft spread on to the side of a shoe welt and the new sole of leather and the iron was heated and rubbed round the edge to re melt the wax to spread it evenly and force the wax between the upper and the new sole to make a watertight seal
The shitty handles are typically British design management. Three feet are British. Britain takes responsibility for the sort of Asians whose culture leaves them with deformed children.
So a prodominantly Anglo Asian Cultural tool?
Something for separating conjoined twins or for assisting mothers of triplegic babies? Maybe converting odd shoes to suit odd feet?
If not intended for use in Pakistan, maybe for nose picking? English industrial towns are filled with brain dead, nose pickers. Do they have tools for special neds? I know they have schools for spacial needs.
I just want ot add the essentially uselessness of the sophistication, bearing in mind the conditions of use in cobbled streets in dirty Britain in wet weather.
Typical for poor people in the good old days. Clogs were the heavy duty workwear for the general public.
WTF are you on?
I seem to have caused a bit of confusion. The pictures are both of the same tool taken from two different angles. Sorry about that, I should have explained.
The reply from the Old Git is interesting because it jogged my wife's memory that her father did indeed apply wax after doing shoe repairs although she can't remember actually seeing it done.
My father used to mend all our shoes. His own 'best' shoes were about 20 years old and like grandad's broom. The substance used from a stick was, IIRC heellball.
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