A Whatzit? for you...

[6GUNSONLY]

Any ideas? Found this in a drawer of junk at my mom and dad's house, somehow I feel like it got there from a generation prior to theirs. It appears to have some faint lettering indicative of advertising for a fertilizer company? "Orion" is visible and internet sources confirm a German chemical company by that name. "Germany" is embossed in small block print near one end. "Satisfaction at Harvest Time" can be made out on one side as well. I can't quite figure out the material - hard, almost stone-like but a bit fibrous and can be scraped with a knife. Reminds me a bit of Bakelite but not exactly. One end looks to have some horizontal markings on it, barely visible and no lettering, just lines. Made me think of a depth gauge of some sort, so wondered if it might be a tool for making a hole to plant garden seeds or something similar. My son, who did forestry in school says it resembles a small version of a dibbling tool, made for that purpose for planting seedlings. It's about 8" long overall. Thoughts?

 

[Bob Wright]

I don't know what that thing is, but I've seen many similar things like that pushed through hasps to lock a door, instead of using a padlock.

Bob Wright

 

[UmpquaCharlie]

I agree. An advertising stick for a hasp lock. Common on farms.

 

[Colonialgirl]

Obviously, it's THINGAMAMBOB for doing STUFF.

 

[Jeepnik]

I'm going with a seed depth tester. The lines on the side are the depth scale.

 

[eveled]

A scythe stone?

 

[any ruger]

Can't remember name used for weaving.weaving shuttle.

 

[toysoldier]

I have one like it, also stamped "Germany." It advertises WARD Shade Rollers. I believe it is a ceramic sharpening stone, possibly for a straight razor. Definitely not a shuttle, as there's no way to wind thread on it. I also have a dibble, and this isn't anything like it.

 

[6GUNSONLY]

One of my first thoughts was that it was a sharpening stone or hone of some sort. But it seems a little too soft yet rough for that. Could have degraded over time, maybe?

 

[Shamus2022]

It's not the shuttle... it is used to separate the skeins (warp) of the weaving so you can pass the shuttle through

 

[Mega Twin]

Bing

Find high-quality images, photos, and animated GIFS with Bing Images

www.bing.com

Image wouldn't post,but shows to be a sharpening stone.

 

[Czubek]

Sickle sharpening stone.

 

[toysoldier]

sickle sharpening stone - Bing

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www.bing.com

 

[friendly]

You say that it's like bakelite. It might be Gutta Percha, a hard substance that is ofetn called hard rubber. Used for many things from 1870 to the 1920s. It's black, but turns brown from long light exposure. If it has lines on the side, it has to be for measuring something.

 

[Joe Chartreuse]

I have some eastern training, and to me it's shape is that of a throwing stick / spike. I know it isn't, but that is the shape.

 

[6GUNSONLY]

Sure looks like that sickle sharpening stone...

 

[redhawker]

Although 8" would be a little small for one it almost looks like a break stick that dogfighters use to pry open a pit bull's mouth to get it off another dog.

 

[jdavis]

It is an antique German sharpening stone (probably from the late 1800s)
here are some pictures that I found

 

[BROKENBEAR]

Weaving loom guide stick

 

[protoolman]

I've seen similar items marked with depth for planting.