Who Can ID this Piece of Iron?

[jpmcwjr]

At The Almond Festival in Capay Valley (N. CA) I was importuned to look at this implement. Hand forged of iron. Difficult to use as far as I know.

 

[beefeater33]

Hard to tell the scale of the piece, but is it an old pipe lighter? Keep it in the fireplace, red hot, and light your pipe with it? Just a guess....

 

[jpmcwjr]

Here's something that shows scale better:

 

[papipeguy]

Hook for picking up cookware from a fireplace?

 

[mso489]

...or maybe a hook for suspending a kettle or other cook pot over a fireplace ...

 

[gloucesterman]

Or for hanging cookware over the embers. Plymouth Plantation and other historical sites have large collections of that kind of hardware. Usually used when cooking in a hearth (before stoves).

 

[deathmetal]

Ah, that's an ancient Shaker g-spot locator.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Just the one tool, the one in the first photo, and the one over the business card...

 

[jpmcwjr]

Here's more visual info....

 

[mcitinner1]

Was Beefeater's answer wrong?

 

[ericusrex]

The third pic doesn't help me.........?

 

[ssjones]

Ah - was that used to pull an ember from the fireplace to light a pipe?

 

[cossackjack]

Looks like a chimney damper pull.

 

[jpmcwjr]

All good answers, and here's the finale, so yes, the beef man got it right off.
Here it is, ready to use-

 

[jpmcwjr]

Since I don't have three hands, I had to light it with the pipe in a makeshift sturdy stand.

 

[jpmcwjr]

So, an Eighteenth Century pipe lighter! (?)
I did manage to light the pipe in this awkward manner, and smoke it down to a fine white ash. Or something like that.
In terms of lighting a pipe, next to picking up a glowing ember, the most difficult I can think of. Thanks be to matches and lighters!

 

[gloucesterman]

That's a tool that could take scorched rim to a whole new level.

 

[newbroom]

My first thought was that it was a branding iron. Seems a tad cumbersome as a pipe lighter.

Maybe there should be some sort of stand or wall hanger to facilitate its implementation.

I'm sure they were flying off the supply store shelves in their day.

 

[ssjones]

That's cool, and explains how the old timers trashed their pipes. I'm sure matches were a luxury not available to all.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Trashing pipes: That's the last thing I was worried about! Hands, wrists, arms, then sofas, rugs, clothing. If used carefully, no trashing of anything, I suspect. But, imagine, late at night, many pints, and paying attention to the blokes sitting by the fire, or maybe someone bumps into you with the red hot poker in your hand.... Many a branded arm or hand, maybe a crotch or two! Cumbersome is just the start of it! But it's cool to add to my fire equipment, as it works as a poker for small logs.