Today's collaboration with the What is it? blog brings us this strange contraption (no - it's not a gun). Can you guess what it is?

Place your guess in the comment section - no prize this week, so you're playing for fame and glory only. For more clues and guessing fun, check out the What is it? blog. Good luck!

Update 11/28/08 - The answer is: "The American Bull Dog Boot Jack", used for removing boots, patent number 329,576.

That was too easy (the answer was in the photo itself)!