Old Tool Identification

[YJ]

A friend of mine sent me these photos of two tools his father had purchased. I can't identify them. Can someone help me with this?

Whatsit 1

• YJ
• 4 Aug 2009
• 1

Whatsit 2

• YJ
• 4 Aug 2009
• 1

 

[EddieM]

why did he purchase tools that he had no idea what they were for? I mean why on earth would anyone be interested in tools? Oh, err, hang on. Damn it.

 

[JohnD]

I have seen something similar to the "tongs" used for lifting railway lines. you have a row of men who all lift together and the tongs are very big. On yours the jaws probably do not close under the force of lifting, so it may be for something lighter. It certainly looks like you put them round something with parallel sides and lift it up

The other one might be for lifting something fairly soft, like a bale of wool, where you thrust it in and then use the handle to chuck it about. It would have to be fairly light, not like a bale of straw

 

[regsmyth]

Ok for my guess....
I think the first thing is like a primitive keyhole saw for making slots in something.
And I wondered if no. 2 is something to do with handling hot things like logs or coal.
Anyone else?

 

[Johnmelad502]

why did he purchase tools that he had no idea what they were for? I mean why on earth would anyone be interested in tools? Oh, err, hang on. Damn it.

Me thinks the purchaser knew what they were for.

 

[pompeyal]

The first tool looks as if it would be for cleaning out holes of a certain size or stabbing into something soft like sides of meat to liftand the second tool , so I would imagine it may have been used for lifting hot chords of wood from an hearth or as our friend regsyth earlier suggested.

 

[Bondai]

Watsit 1
Possibly for making a thread in a hole.

Watsit 2
Some sort of butchers tool ? or a gardening tool - for roughing up the earth ?
(yes I believe that is a technical term used among avid gardeners)

Not THE famous whisker 1000 from 1845 ?