Unidentified small grinder (?)

[WisJim]

I haven't found a better thread to put this in, so I'm asking if anyone know what this little grinder might be used for. My first thought was sharpening drill bits, but it's too inaccurate and light weight. Gears are all stamped sheet steel, the two grinding wheels turn in opposite directions, and the little sheet metal bits aren't very adjustable. Another thought was a pencil sharpener, but not with grinding wheels that work with metal.
It appears to be marked "Patent Applied For", "Chickadee Sharpening Co., Chicago, ILLS"
Any ideas?

 

[The Cobbler]

maybe for scissors and /or knives?

 

[MiteyF]

Knives was my guess. Put the blade between the 2 crooked metal arms, and it would sharpen both bevels at the same time?

 

[WisJim]

Sharpening knives makes sense. Not sure why that didn't occur to me.

 

[four.cycle]

^ I haven't had a chance to dive into it yet, but that's really the only that makes sense.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Cool find, Jim.

I haven't found a better thread to put this in,

Not that it matters, but for future reference, we do have a hand grinders thread...

 

[Provincial]

Axes, machetes, scythes, and other edged equipment.

 

[four.cycle]

^ I've hit a dead-end on this one. There's a British company that makes a "Chickadee" grinder, but there doesn't appear to be any sort of connection to Chicago.

 

[four.cycle]

Original Message --------

Subject:​	Re: Chickadee Sharpening Co., Chicago, Illinois
Date:​	2025-07-08 9:44 pm
From:​	Stan
To:​	four.cycle

I think I saw that item posted in one of the "old tool" Facebook groups. I've seen at least one similar hand-cranked knife sharpener with gearing so that the stones "counter-rotate." It had pink stones, and one of the stones had a big chip knocked off by careless handling. I suspect some of the people who focus on kitchen gadgets would have noted these things.
Regards, Stan S.