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WHAT IS THIS?

Snook

Still Learning
Veteran
I been carrying this thing around for 20+ years since my father in law died.
Have asked many what they thought it was/is, no answers. So here I am, asking the most diverse thinkers I know. WTF is this thing?
It is 30.5" long and weighs 9-10lbs. I'm not good at identifying wood but my guess is it is made from walnut. The Qtip looking ends are pressed onto the shaft. My guess is it was used on a loom of some sort carrying yarn or sumtin like that.. maybe hemp?:biggrin:


Anyone know?


EDIT: if you came here via my sig link, she made you look..
156f8630.gif
 

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WelderDan

Well-known member
Veteran
I've seen one of those, but damned if I can remember when, or what it was for. Let me thunk on it.
 

WelderDan

Well-known member
Veteran
After looking at a bunch of Google images, I think MJP hit it. It's a pestle. I found several with symmetrical ends
 

Gypsy Nirvana

Recalcitrant Reprobate -
Administrator
Veteran
Hmmm, a pestle.

I have only ever seen them made of harder materials like metal or stone. But that wood looks pretty hard, so maybe?
 

Snook

Still Learning
Veteran
pestle for grains maybe.. I agree about the harder materials though.
The ends are smooth like it rode in a cradle of some sort..
 

Snook

Still Learning
Veteran
I see the pestles in Google images w double ends, each of those has one flat end and one round end. They are also all much shorter than 30 inches.. the mortar would/could/should be very deep..
 

Snook

Still Learning
Veteran
I've seen one of those, but damned if I can remember when, or what it was for. Let me thunk on it.
My father in law lived in Copake ny when he died and small town on the NY/MA state line in Mass.. funny he has a metal worker in his family on Long Island, welder dan maybe you knew him and saw it at his home.. just joshin'..
 
G

ganjygav

It could be a pestle made from lignum vitae wood. It's a very hard and dense wood they used to make police truncheons with, 100 years ago.
They also make bowles with it the sort used for the game of lawn bowls.
It's easy to test if it is lignum vitae because it'd one of the only woods that sinks in water.
 

Snook

Still Learning
Veteran
I did go and look at google images for lignum vitae wood. it does have the look of what this thing is.. don't know if I want to stick it in a tub full of water though..:tiphat:
 

I wood

Well-known member
The ends look like burl walnut, not lignum vitae.
It is used for similar reasons though. Denser than straight grain wood and intermingled grain for durability.
 

MJPassion

Observer
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Was thinking it could be an axle bit I didn't seem anything that resembles your pics then I locked at cannon ramrods & nothing there either.

Seems awful long to be a pestle. That was just a passing thought before I read the length.
 

WelderDan

Well-known member
Veteran
Mortar & Pestles can be quite large. Depends on what you're grinding. Herbs & spices don't require anything big, but, for example, I've seen a very large one used to make Mofongo in Puerto Rico. The Pestle was the size of a baseball bat. It actually was a baseball bat, and the mortar was a hollowed out hardwood log.

If you're grinding large volumes, bigger would be better...
 
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ganjygav

I did go and look at google images for lignum vitae wood. it does have the look of what this thing is.. don't know if I want to stick it in a tub full of water though..:tiphat:

It's wood a 20 second dip in water would harm it none but it would tell you if it is lignum vitae. To me it has the same look of this wood with a couple of hundred years ago behind it. The handle looks different wood
 
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