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Tool Question- Might Be A Kitchen Tool?

pirate_girl

legendary ⚓
GOLD Site Supporter
Today my nurse friend Charisse brought in this little gadget she brought home with her from a farm auction.
In the box she purchased were old potato mashers, spoons and other cutlery.

The handle on this thing is worn (so it was obviously used a lot) and has 4 curved blades. Two go in one direction, the other two in another. It's like maybe 6 (8?) inches long.
I held it and looked at it and didn't know.

She kept it with her and asked at least 20 of our old folks, most of them former farmers/farm wives was it was.
She even asked two of our mennonite ladies what it was, they didn't know, except Martha said she thought it might have been used to cut pastry.

None of them had a clue, but guessed.
Wish I'd have brought it home with me and snapped a pic to show you.
She wants to use it for a white elephant gift exchange, but won't until she knows exactly what it is.
Any idea?
 

jimbo

Bronze Member
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Difficult to identify without a photo, but if I were to venture a guess, I would say that it might be a mincer designed to be used with a rocking motion. Many of these were designed to be used in a concave depression in a wooden board. You put the herbs or whatever in the depression, and chopped away.

The ones I see today have the blades going in only one direction, but crossing the blades would be more efficient.
 

pirate_girl

legendary ⚓
GOLD Site Supporter
Thanks so much Jimbo.
I'll ask her if I can bring it home, then snap a pic to show.
Not sure if she's on schedule tomorrow, but she might be.
In any case, within the next few days I'll bring it home with me, then you can see it.
 

jimbo

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Here is what I am thinking about. Close?
 

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pirate_girl

legendary ⚓
GOLD Site Supporter
No.
The handle is round, maybe 4 inches long and made of a carved wood.
The blades weren't sharp and didn't look like they'd ever been sharpened... the edges were dull.
The way the blades criss-crossed, it almost looked like something meant to blend.
 

jimbo

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
I think I remember seeing something like you are describing. My old memory is failing me right now.

Here is one from ebay
 

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pirate_girl

legendary ⚓
GOLD Site Supporter
More like this, with a thin long handle, with long curved blades.
This pic says it's a 4 blade food chopper?

PRIMITIVE-ANTIQUE-RARE-Wood-Handled-4-Blade.jpg
 

jimbo

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Iffn it be a food chopper, the blades be sharp. The one you picture is like the ones that fit in a dedicated bowl.

Pics, girl
 

joec

New member
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I forgot the name of these but they used a knife in Alaska and parts of the North West that was similar used in the skinning process. I've also seen other versions used by ancient bakers for mixing dough. Depending on sharpness it could really do both as the design would be handy in a modern kitchen for some jobs.
 

jimbo

Bronze Member
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I forgot the name of these but they used a knife in Alaska and parts of the North West that was similar used in the skinning process. I've also seen other versions used by ancient bakers for mixing dough. Depending on sharpness it could really do both as the design would be handy in a modern kitchen for some jobs.
I think the knife you are talking about is called an Ulu, and the kitchen version is a mezzaluna. Probably misspelled.
 

joec

New member
GOLD Site Supporter
I think the knife you are talking about is called an Ulu, and the kitchen version is a mezzaluna. Probably misspelled.

Yes that would be them. The Ulu would be the Alaskan name for it version and the Mezzaluna I guess would be the modern version but not sure. I've seen them used in kitchens though and a lot of places sell them.
 

FrancSevin

Proudly Deplorable
GOLD Site Supporter
Without a picture, I cannot confirm but, it may be for cutting lard into flour to make pie crust.

Granma had one.
The best flaky pie crust is made with lard and flour and as little mechanical action as possible. Cutting the lard into the flour rather than "mixing it" works best. Less gluten is released.

Also the best way to make egg noodles and spoon drop shortbread biscuts.

Jimbo's picture is a less complicated version of the same tool. Alternate use would be mashing spuds and squash. Sharp blades wouldnot be required.
 

muleman

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
Sounds like a dough cutter for dumplings to me. It cuts the leafs you fold up over the apples so they don't wrinkle.
 

Danang Sailor

nullius in verba
GOLD Site Supporter
Both of the pics Jimbo posted are mezzlunas, one modern and the other an antique.

I'll wait for pics from PG before making any guesses about what her friend has. :wink:

 

jimbo

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Both of the pics Jimbo posted are mezzlunas, one modern and the other an antique.

I'll wait for pics from PG before making any guesses about what her friend has. :wink:

The last photo is a dough mixer, the first is a modern interpretation of the mezzluna.
 

FrancSevin

Proudly Deplorable
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Ya got me PG.
Although I can see many uses for the device, exactly for whit it was intented eludes me.:neutral:
I have no idea what that is.
 

pirate_girl

legendary ⚓
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Ya know Franc, she and I were discussing this today.
Possibly it's not a kitchen tool at all.
Just because it was thrown in a box with a lot of other kitchen gadgets, doesn't mean it's necessarily a kitchen tool.
But it looks like something that would have been used (and much) for chopping or blending something by hand.. or whatever.
It's going to drive me nuts until I find out lol
 

FrancSevin

Proudly Deplorable
GOLD Site Supporter
Ya know Franc, she and I were discussing this today.
Possibly it's not a kitchen tool at all.
Just because it was thrown in a box with a lot of other kitchen gadgets, doesn't mean it's necessarily a kitchen tool.
But it looks like something that would have been used (and much) for chopping or blending something by hand.. or whatever.
It's going to drive me nuts until I find out lol


It is made of stainless. Unlikely it is just a shop tool

It would be effective for blending spices, chopping cinnimon, nuts, even boiled eggs for salads. In the late 1800's early 1900's such hand tools were invented for modern kitchens every day.
It was, after all, America's golden Age. Inventors were crazy trying to get rich selling new gadgets!

But wait there's more!
One probably got two and a Shamwow if they paid extra shipping and handling
 

pirate_girl

legendary ⚓
GOLD Site Supporter
It is made of stainless. Unlikely it is just a shop tool

It would be effective for blending spices, chopping cinnimon, nuts, even boiled eggs for salads. In the late 1800's early 1900's such hand tools were invented for modern kitchens every day.
It was, after all, America's golden Age. Inventors were crazy trying to get rich selling new gadgets!

But wait there's more!
One probably got two and a Shamwow if they paid extra shipping and handling
The blades aren't sharp right now. I can run my thumb across them and they are dull.
But if you look closely, it almost looks as though one time they were.
Sorry, that's my web cam reflecting in there.

2012-04-25 23-52-33.051.jpg
 

Cowboy

Wait for it.
GOLD Site Supporter
I honestly have no clue what it is PG, but if its kitchen related and you have the time to search through all of the gallerys, I would bet you will find it at this website. I use this site a lot to find out what things are I have aquired from various places. :wink: http://www.fantes.com/history.html
 

pirate_girl

legendary ⚓
GOLD Site Supporter
I honestly have no clue what it is PG, but if its kitchen related and you have the time to search through all of the gallerys, I would bet you will find it at this website. I use this site a lot to find out what things are I have aquired from various places. :wink: http://www.fantes.com/history.html

Thank you hun!
I bookmarked it.
I have all the time in the world to do a lot of searching tomorrow, as I don't have to work.
I did a quick search before I logged on this evening for Travco+Retro+Vintage and saw the name come up on Etsy for a bottle opener.
So that name is key at least.
It's a start.
Thanks guys.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled FF programming.
In the meantime, if anyone finds anything on this, I'd sure appreciate it.
 

Cowboy

Wait for it.
GOLD Site Supporter
Thank you hun!
I bookmarked it.
I have all the time in the world to do a lot of searching tomorrow, as I don't have to work.
I did a quick search before I logged on this evening for Travco+Retro+Vintage and saw the name come up on Etsy for a bottle opener.
So that name is key at least.
It's a start.
Thanks guys.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled FF programming.
In the meantime, if anyone finds anything on this, I'd sure appreciate it.
Welcome PG, but I think you answered your own question in post #7. :wink:

BTW, I still couldn't find it on that site I linked to & I went through a lot of catagories. :unsure:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=chopper+wood+handle&_pgn=2&_skc=50&rt=nc

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Bel...417?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ae65f71f9
 

wanderer

New member
hey, i found a picture of it in my kitchen collection book. cause i only have my phone, i will have to post a pic in my album.
i will try to get it clear...

oh...it is a chopper...
 
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