Do You Know What This Thing Is?

September 1, 2017 4:03 PM

My Mum found this thing in a container of pocket change that belonged to my Dad. He passed away a couple of years ago so we can't ask him what the heck it is.

Someone suggested money clip but I think the "tines" are too short for that. One side of the set of tines seems to have more of a bend than the other. Some sort of boat hardware? A piece of a musical instrument? Any ideas? Thanks!

Dad's Thing 1
Dad's Thing 2
Dad's Thing 3

posted by lunaazul to Grab Bag (4 answers total)

Best answer: Possibly a violin mute? They come in many different styles. I've never seen one exactly like that, but it looks close.
posted by owls at 4:29 PM on September 1, 2017 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: Good one owls! He didn't have a violin but he did have a banjo and a google image search brings up a banjo mute that looks almost exactly like "Dad's Thing". Thank you!
posted by lunaazul at 4:35 PM on September 1, 2017

Seconding owls; looks like about the right size to fit over a violin bridge, the tines would fit between the strings except for the one with the notch in the middle which might fit over, and there are a wide array of styles for them.
posted by charmedimsure at 4:35 PM on September 1, 2017

Response by poster: Ah, charmedimsure, we were posting in the same moment! Thank you both. It wouldn't stop occupying the back of my brain trying to imagine what the dang thing might wedge in to. I followed the trail that owls pointed me down and ended up at Elton-style banjo mute. (It doesn't have the Elton name stamped into it.)
posted by lunaazul at 5:09 PM on September 1, 2017