My first Whats-it, hopefully not my last

[drummertom]

I thought I was the biggest pack rat in the world till we started going through my brothers stuff. I found this http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/23940767 among other things. It looks kinda like a musket ball maker (I think) except the ends are solid and not cupped. Any ideas?

[anglesmith]

"Pinching iron" For straighting hair and setting small flat curls! Hairdressing is not a new trade, there are four pages of hairdressing tools in, The Victorian Catalogue of Tools for Trades and Crafts (circa 1845) Philip Walker 1994
Graeme

[johnsironsanctuary]

How about a tinsmiths' tool for setting copper rivets on the other side of a beaded edge. It looks a bit heavy duty for a hairdressers' tool. There has to be a purpose for the relief behind the jaw. It would work for flattening a lock seam, but why is it round?

[Neals]

I've seen them listed for sale as hair flattening irons

[johnsironsanctuary]

OK Neal, that was a WAG on my part, but if it were mine, I wouldn't put it in my curling iron museum. I'd make a bullet mold out of it.

[anglesmith]

John, Had a second look at photo's, they are very heavy and are mallable cast, made for cheapness/easy production! The ones I have are finely forged and don't have the relieve behind the faces. So maybe there is another use for these heavy "pinching" irons? Back to research!!
Graeme

[john k]

I vote for hair straightening irons.  These were heated on the cook stove, and the ends were heavy to hold the heat, so they could work longer before re-heating.   The relief, the rounded out part was there so only the hair separated out to be straightened  was heated, and so hair wasn't pinched in the hinge, that might hurt!