What is it? Game 111

Here's this week's collaboration with the What is it? Blog. Can you tell us what this strange tool is used for? The first correct guess AND the funniest guess win this awesome Ice Invaders Ice Cube Tray from the Neatorama Shop.

Game rules are simple: place your guess in the comment section. One guess per comment, please. You can enter as many guessed as you'd like. Please post no URL or web links - doing so will forfeit your entry.

For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog. Good luck!

Update 10/9/09 - the answer is: A clockwork roasting jack, used to turn meat while it was roasted over the fireplace. Congratulations to PaulS who guessed right and to Abe Normal who suggested that it was a wind up grenade!

It is a wind up ornament hanger that spins the ornament slowly, sometimes to a tune. The fat part is the top, the ornament hangs from the thin end pointed down.
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This is a kilt-stay, originally patented by one Angus McClorggann. Scotsman are an active bunch, romping around the moors and craggy hills, hearding sheep and smacking one another with pointy things. But, when it rains the fabric of the kilt loosens, sometimes dropping around their ankles. This would not only be embarrassing, but dangerous! the Kilt stay prevents this from happening. You wind this up, and as the kilt belt expands, the spring keeps it taught, and as the kilt dries it pulls in the slack. Notice the gold 'rope' decoration, its the clue that led me to this conclusion.
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It's quite obviously an ornamental radiator key holder, never again will you be searching through drawers and toolboxes when you want to bleed your radiator, now it takes pride of place in your living room, kitchen, or study. Also makes an excellent conversation starter. Be the envy of all your friends, especially those who have lost their radiator keys and need to bleed their radiators.
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It is an old 19th-Century kitchen-appliance.
You hang -small- meat from it above a fire or above smoke and let it turn by the clockwork-mechanism in it that you can wind up by the key. It then turns the short bronze side abound slowly.
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I'm bidding on a soldering iron (given the age, probably fairly low temperature, for jewelry or stained glass windows). Once wound, the mechanics inside create a consistent, even temperature (for a short amount of time, maybe a minute or two) which were a great improvement over fire-brands.
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It makes fishing even easier!!! It's a wind up reel and all you do is put it in the middle of the boat and relax even MORE than you already were. the fish will nibble because the lure isn't stationary!!! hahaha.
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Could be a wire spanner. The wire through the tube, attached inside. The device attached on the wall. If you wind up with the key the wire thightens. Or, if not attached, is pulled inside, usefull in fishing.
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Well certainly ma'am's and gents, you realized that you are looking at a premium 18th century lint brush!
This fine doohicky was put out as a promotion for Bounce, who was not doing so fine in the market place at that time. They guaranteed that this baby would pick up any sorta hair or lint like problems that you had, and it left behind a nice Mountain Fresh Scent.
Why I do believe that it was designed by a German, but you people are gonna have to research that part.
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