What is this (possibly carpentry/upholstery) tool?

July 16, 2014 5:15 AM

This object was amongst tools belonging to a carpenter/furniture restorer, so may be something to do with that trade. Beer bottle cap for size, ~5 inches total length; good condition, but must be at least 20 years old - could be much older. The metal part appears to be aluminium, which would be too soft for many tool uses, so perhaps it is something else entirely?
posted by AFII to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (11 answers total)

If you don't get your answer here, you could also try posting your picture over at /r/whatisthisthing
posted by Jacqueline at 5:24 AM on July 16, 2014

Possibly a carpet staple puller?
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 5:35 AM on July 16, 2014

Response by poster: (without wanting to thread sit) - I don't think it can be for pulling nails or staples or hard objects, because it's aluminium, but I did wonder whether it's for pulling and lifting fabric; maybe carpets, but possibly upholstery stuffing, chair padding, etc?
posted by AFII at 5:47 AM on July 16, 2014

I would think it would be for separating the upholstered pieces from the wooden frames.
posted by wile e at 6:17 AM on July 16, 2014 [1 favorite]

or poking the edges of the leather/cloth in/down/under something tight
posted by runincircles at 6:40 AM on July 16, 2014

The leather makes me think it's a shoemaker's tool (or leathermaker's). It looks like it could be used as an edge iron, which was used (heated) for smoothing and sealing the sides of leather soles. Usually they have wooden handles to protect the user from the heated metal, but the leather would have worked as well.

(In the picture it looks like brass; are you sure it's aluminum? Aluminum would be much lighter than brass.)
posted by beagle at 7:01 AM on July 16, 2014

2nding runincircles' theory - I'd guess it's some kind of "tucker" (my invented word for a thing that tucks fabric into crevices).
posted by amtho at 7:32 AM on July 16, 2014

Response by poster: It's definitely not brass! It's very light indeed, which is why I assume it's aluminium (guess it could be titanium? Seems unlikely).
My assumption was a 'tucker' of some sort - thanks for that word! Can't seem to find a techncial term for it which would enable a google search to clarify things though...
posted by AFII at 8:09 AM on July 16, 2014

Try a magnet on it, aluminium and brass do not react to it.
posted by mlis at 8:53 AM on July 16, 2014

this is used to pull cord through tight spaces. Kind of like those threading tools you get with sewing needles because your eyes can't see the hole.
posted by ptm at 3:03 PM on July 16, 2014

Response by poster: A threading tool? I can't quite visualise that because it's so large - do you hold the bare metal and pull the thread through using the padded loop? or...something else?
posted by AFII at 12:25 AM on July 17, 2014