Dixie "pliers?" ID

[BuddyC01]

Here's the other item I can't figure out. And neither can most anyone else from what I've been able to find searching around on the net. People call this a Blacksmith's pliers, a bullet mold (really? shouldn't a bullet mold actually mold something?) to other things. The inside surfaces of the duck bill ends are totally flat. It is marked "Dixie 3".

'preciate it!
BuddyC

 

[rick carpenter]

Those are used to squeeze the white cream filling flat in Oreos before they put the chocolate wafers on. I just ate some!

 

[BuddyC01]

That's one I didn't see but not far off from others

 

[toplessHO]

is there a gap in them when closed?
does the flat surface look like it has been hot? like flattening
hot rivets or something?

 

[one9gt]

Dixie "pliers?" ID

Those are used for making bullet molds

EDIT: a number of sites state that their used for hair straightening

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BuddyC01]

is there a gap in them when closed?
does the flat surface look like it has been hot?

Barely a hairline gap toward the inside edge. Very flat surface on both sides, no noticeable marks.

Entire tool may have been painted black or Japanned originally. Including on the flat surfaces

 

[BuddyC01]

Like one9gt just mentioned, I found some mention online that they used to sell blank pliers like this so that customers could have their own custom bullet mold shapes carved out for casting lead bullets, but I don't know if that's true or not. I don't think many would have had the tools needed to create their own custom molds back when they were made, so maybe the tool blanks were sent to gunsmiths of the time for customization. (

I like this one. Would like to check it out further

If I had to guess blindly just by looking at the tool I would say they were used for glassmaking or glassblowing, to press and shape the glass and/or to help cool it down by using the pliers as a heat sink. I have seen similar modern pliers that look very similar which also have textures, patterns, and shapes ground into them for adding patterns to glass. (

Good idea but think it might be difficult since they fit so tight and flat when closed. Anything thicker and they would just bite on the back surface

EDIT- There does seem to be several sources online that claim them to be vintage hair straightening pliers. I don't know if I believe that, but I guess it is possible. Just don't get the ends too hot when warming them up in the fire.

I did see several of these too. I could imagine a burly blacksmith straightening out his beard maybe between swings of the hammer but that's about it for me

 

[BuddyC01]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dixie-blank...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

OK then...... Thanks for playing and getting me on the track