Thursday, 11 February 2016

Kit, Caboodle and Gongs

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8 comments:

  1. Probably a cased Mah Jong set. Late 19th century. Made in China for the Western Market.

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  2. P.s. Above refers to number 12.

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  3. (9) Is a cocoanut shell snuff or powder flask. Early 19th century.

    (11) Is a pair of sugar nippers to cut managably sized chunks of sugar off a cone shaped sugar loaf. English (?) with an unusually complex spring. Early/mid nineteenth century.

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    Replies
    1. 9. Yes, ugly brute, ain't it?
      11. Yes, I guess it's fairly recent, or possibly industrial; I've never seen a domestic pair with a return spring before.

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  4. They often have a form of return spring. It's usually a flat spring riveted inside one of the two handles with the upper end of the spring working on the other handle up near the hinge.

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  5. When was the concentrically coiled spring first used in horological design? They're very abundant in a swathe of mid 20th century industrial machines for reciprocation.

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  6. 1. a device for de-topping soft boiled eggs
    2. a bronze age trumpet from the Dowris hoard 900-600BC
    3. a crotal from Armagh in Ireland (a bell placed around the neck of a wether or other livestock)
    4. a double caliper or comparator
    5. a Halligan bar used globally by fire and rescue services for forcing entry to vehicles and buildings
    6. a combination wire-fencing tool
    7. a lawn edge-trimmer
    8. a lid-crimper
    10. a multi-tool for opening crates
    12. a japanese table-top cabinet
    13. Japanese order of the sacred treasure 3rd class
    14. Japanese silver table medal of 1919

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