Hello Everyone....

I have a watch chain with this on the end as a FOB.... Does anyone recognize it for what it's purpose could have been?

Thanks to anyone who can tell me....

Regards,
Jerry

Another one

Does the middle part spin when you hold either end?

Jerry on the end with the shaft, are there any threads or anything like that? Or a shape other than round?

Tom

Tom & David,

Here are two more photos of the item, disasembled with different positions of the innermost part.

The first pic shows the retractor all the way up& the second pic shows the retractor extended outward to the max.

Maybe these will shed a little light.

The thing almost looks like an old mechanical pencil but the lead size would be humongous....

Hope this helps....

Regards,
Jerry

second pic....

My guess would be a pencil, how big would the lead have to be?

Tom

.090 or so....but the problem is, the plunger does not retract fully into it's sleeve. As you can see in the first photo, that is fully retracted....unless it used some sort of soft lead or marking medium such as grease lead.

Regards,
Jerry

Since I am a pipe smoker, and I am.... I thought it may be a tool for a pipe, used to reposition ones tobacco which I often do.

I also thought it may be a tool to use when setting the time on a "pin set" watch. I have a couple of them and tried it out and it does work but is very cumbersom in doing so. So I ruled that out....

It's interesting though....

Thanks, Tom & David for your input. And leave it up to David, to start drawing pictures....

Very good Dave....

Regards,
Jerry

JERRY,
I am almost sure it is an antique automatic pencil, I saw one on e-bay a month or so ago that looked very similar.
Bill

Iv'e got it, for either marking racing forms or typing text messages on his cell phone!

There is not a chance that a tappered tip is missing from the lead end is there, you know most mechanical pencils the very tip will unscrew, I have lost a few of thos tips over the years.

Tom

If it were a pencil it would work in reverse, the inner rod would retract fully into the body and not extend out three times its length. I think it is some kind of tool and not necessarily one to be used on a watch but one that had a role back in the time....

Regards,
Jerry

Jerry, if it had a small hook screwed on the end, it could have been a lady's button hook for fastening lace up gloves.
They would need extending to be long enough to hook laces through the button holes.

Similar but more sturdy fixed and quite long button hooks were used for boots and shoes.

With an ornate cover like that, and probably early C20th or late C19th, I would also say it was intended for a woman to wear rather than a man.

My wife has collected solid silver, ivory and ebony handled types for some years now

John

It's a pencil. I have one, and yes, the lead IS huge, as mine still has a piece of original lead inside.

Regards! Mark

Thanks John & Mark,

Do you have a pic of yours? I would like to look at it.

I don't understand how you can get lead into it when the 'pusher' won't retract into the body of the holder....

John, there is no hook or anything on the end at present. Maybe there used to be one because the end of the rod retractor is not square but looks as though it has been cut at an angle....

Thanks,

Jerry

If I finally get my computer to accept photo imputs, I'll sure try. Mine is an extremely simple mechanism. It's a friction fit. There is no 'turning' of a mechanism to make the lead go in or out. You pull the entire mechanism out of the pencil (as shown in your photo), physically pull out the amount of lead you want to use, then reassemble. The sides physically hold the lead in place.

Trick is because of the huge size of the lead, you only have to push a very little bit of exposed lead out the tip to be able to write.

Mine is as gaudy as yours in design. They really tricked these things out, didn't they? The only thing missing on mine is the jump ring at the end that attaches to the chain.

Regards! Mark