What are these odd tools?

[itstippy]

Hi gang, longtime reader and first-time poster. Great site and a huge resource for me in both knowledge & entertainment.

I buy interesting and well made vintage tools when I find them. Sometimes I get tools that I don't know what they are, but a little research on the internet sets me straight.

I recently bought this set of old carving/shaping tools at a church sale for a couple bucks. I thought I was buying a wood carving set, but on closer examination they don't look like any woodcarving tools I've ever seen. They are old and well-used, like someone made a living with them not just a hobby. The handles are discolored like they've been around a michine shop for years. They are not particularly sharp, although some show signs of frequent resharpening over the years. The steel is excellent. There are several different makers' marks, none I recognized. Some are numbered. I have not cleaned them. What was this set of carefully accumulated tools used for?

An attempt at posting images below. First-time poster, so I hope this works:

 

[Lippyp]

Could they have been used for leatherworking?

 

[road]

The handles look generic. Some of the tools look like leather working or carving of some sort.
They could be for almost anything really.
I purchased a box of jewelers items of Kijiji a few years ago and most of the tooling was hand made for one purpose or another. Some of the handles were door knobs at one time.

As for the markings they could be from the "original" knife or tool these were made from .

 

[ABSTIFFGS]

Could they be carving knives for a wood lathe?

 

[rsanter]

Too short for wood lathe
They look like,wood carving tools to me

Bob

 

[logikal]

http://www.littleshavers.com/handles.html

Palm handled carving tools, used for more delicate tooling.

 

[Jere]

Some of the knobs by the files came from a dresser drawer. Some look like someone made the metal shape from scrap metal, and some look like whittled down wood lathe chisels. I am guessing the person that put them together carved furniture by some of the profiles and shapes. Maybe from the great depression era

 

[Gmonkee]

The previous owner ( or his father ) was a cabinet maker. Probably a quite talented one.

 

[JUNK-MAN]

The ones in the upper right hand corner just look like files hammered into old door knobs.

 

[Lx460]

Woodcut or linoleum block cutting/printing?

 

[Outlawmws]

I don't thing leather work, Highly details wood carving is what I think. Not ordinary cabinet work either, real carveing for inletted carving; the detailed kind only really done with lasers these days... Possibly for gunstocks as well. some interesting carving was/is sometimes done there.

 

[Outlawmws]

Woodcut or linoleum block cutting/printing?

This also!

 

[CoopVA]

I don't thing leather work, Highly details wood carving is what I think. Not ordinary cabinet work either, real carveing for inletted carving; the detailed kind only really done with lasers these days... Possibly for gunstocks as well. some interesting carving was/is sometimes done there.

I think you nailed it...


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[powerwagon63]

Engraving tools.

 

[pokey459]

Engraving tools.

ding , ding , ding.
we have a winner. they are indeed metal engraving tools [gravers].
some are pushers and/or creasers.

 

[theknurl]

there are 6 engraving tools on the far right
8 more pointed down with pear shaped handles

the others wood carving or leather tools

I'd have to see close ups

 

[itstippy]

Thanks, guys. Engraving tools! Now if only I knew how to engrave stuff ...

I suppose today one uses electrically powered engraving tools. I'll put these old tools in one of the many old wooden boxes I've accumulated. They're fun to look at and think about the days gone by when they represented someone's livlihood. Some old-school engraver put food on the table & a roof over his head with these tools back in the day.

 

[espyking83]

I don't thing leather work, Highly details wood carving is what I think. Not ordinary cabinet work either, real carveing for inletted carving; the detailed kind only really done with lasers these days... Possibly for gunstocks as well. some interesting carving was/is sometimes done there.

Damn, good post!

 

[akacoke]

looks like wood carving tools

 

[ajchien]

Look like wood carving/whittling knives to me.

 

[RivennHewn]

Gravers.

Worth big $$

Looks like you scored!

 

[ttpete]

Thanks, guys. Engraving tools! Now if only I knew how to engrave stuff ...

I suppose today one uses electrically powered engraving tools. I'll put these old tools in one of the many old wooden boxes I've accumulated. They're fun to look at and think about the days gone by when they represented someone's livlihood. Some old-school engraver put food on the table & a roof over his head with these tools back in the day.

It's still done mainly by hand. Think of it as carving steel. You didn't see an engraver's vise there, did you? It's a metal ball with a flat top with many holes drilled in the flat side for pins and has a small vise as well. It sits in a leather and wood holder so it can be rotated and set at any angle.