Thread: What Tool Is This?

"These are leather pliers and the hammer is for tacks "

I emailed an expert and this is what he told me, possibly for upholstery or shoes.

Tool Exchange - The Tool Exchange

Originally Posted by d2dave

Mt inlaws are shifting and I have scored a few tools. As the father inlaw has alzheimers he does not know what it is.

Does any one here know what this tool is?

If he has Alzheimer's get him to hold it in one hand and ask him what it does or what it's called. Then ask him with it in his other hand.
Alzheimer's reduces the connection between brain halves. So, for instance, if you put a hairbrush in an Alzheimer's sufferer's hand they may be able to tell you it's called a brush but cannot remember what it does. In the other hand they may be able to tell you that it's for brushing you hair bet can't recall what it's called.

Also, I used to do shoe- making as a job and these pliers wouldn't have been practical for leather stretching over a last.

Originally Posted by isuzurover

Whomever said shoemaker's pliers was correct.

I disagree. I've already looked at all that and while many pliers have the projection, none have jaws like the original post.

I must admit, I hadn't thought of the projection being a hammer, I looked upon it as the surface to be struck by a hammer.

Originally Posted by p38arover

I must admit, I hadn't thought of the projection being a hammer, I looked upon it as the surface to be struck by a hammer.

When I first saw it I thought of the projection being used as a hammer.

Originally Posted by p38arover

I disagree. I've already looked at all that and while many pliers have the projection, none have jaws like the original post.

...

I think that is a weak argument - Can you find any other pliers with the projection apart from leatherwork or shoemaker's pliers?

The bottom right pliers in the main image I posted (and the ebay pliers) have a similar jaw design (if not the same). It is clear that there is a wide range of different jaw designs for different tasks.

Originally Posted by isuzurover

Whomever said shoemaker's pliers was correct.


http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...07/0087-89.jpg



Very similar plier on ebay:
Vintage shoe / leather stretching pliers by H BRINDLEY WW1 Military 1916 | eBay
Listed as a leather stretching pliar.

Originally Posted by korg20000bc

If he has Alzheimer's get him to hold it in one hand and ask him what it does or what it's called. Then ask him with it in his other hand.
Alzheimer's reduces the connection between brain halves. So, for instance, if you put a hairbrush in an Alzheimer's sufferer's hand they may be able to tell you it's called a brush but cannot remember what it does. In the other hand they may be able to tell you that it's for brushing you hair bet can't recall what it's called.

Also, I used to do shoe- making as a job and these pliers wouldn't have been practical for leather stretching over a last.

Originally Posted by p38arover

I disagree. I've already looked at all that and while many pliers have the projection, none have jaws like the original post.

I must admit, I hadn't thought of the projection being a hammer, I looked upon it as the surface to be struck by a hammer.

Look at the fourth from the top on the right, Ron.

I reckon that shoe making is very close to the mark given the shapes in isuzurover post

I was going to suggest they look like old swaging pliers for working steel wire rope. the hammer part would be for driving the FID and the pliers for pulling the fid and wire rope after.