Friday, November 19, 2010

Can You Guess the Artifact?

While looking through all of the potential artifacts we can display at our new business exhibit, some are just bound to get more attention than others. I'm happy to say the mystery object this week was a favorite among the Tenement Museum staff.

What do you think it is?


Get a good look at this one before taking your guess.

I'll give you a hint: This rusty gem is sharp and has a hand crank.

Tell us what you think and find out on Monday if you're right!

-Posted by Joe Klarl

19 comments:

  1. Looks like a wall mounted can (and possibly bottle?) opener.

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  2. Agree. Looks like a wall mounted can opener.

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  3. I can barely use my own can opener. This would be just as good an option for me.

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  4. At first I thought can opener too but it's in the business exhibit. I'm going to guess letter opener.

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  5. Can and bottle opener, used in a market or corner store?

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  6. I must concur. Looks like a can opener. Kinda looks like something my parents had when I was a kid.

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  7. A knife sharpner, maybe

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  8. I would go with a knife sharpener.

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  9. Hmmm. BUSINESS use. It can obviously be mounted by screws--but horizontally or vertically??? It's obviously NOT a can opener (just go and look at your can-openers again!). This is the first challenge to make me think....Can we have a clue and know how big it is?

    I'm siding with T--for now!

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  10. Kirk B. this would cut a pencil in half nicely.
    George- knife sharpeners are quite different--for a start they aren't sharp! They also have two sides, so that each side of the knife blade is sharpened as you pull it through the discs.

    Although here's a memory--my uncle used to sharpen the blade of his carving knife on the stone doorstep every Sunday before the roast dinner.

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  11. A clue: it is probably half a foot long (the artifact is now stored away, so I'm relying on memory!). Glad we're making you all think! :-)

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  12. Definitely not a can opener but could be a scissor sharpener, it is too bulky and oddly shaped to be a knife sharpener.

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