Today's collaboration with What is it? Blog brings us this strange object: can you guess what it is?
Place your guess in the comment section (post no URL, please - let others play). No prize this week, you're playing for bragging rights only. Check out What is it? blog for more guessing game.
Update 7/30/07 - Here's the answer:
Hops pole carrier: the hops plant is a vine and to help them grow they put a large number of 15 foot poles in the ground and ran wires across the top; the holes on the end of this tool are for straps, which would then go around the neck and shoulders of the worker and allow him to carry the pole.
Then again, I think someone used these on me when I was giving birth....some sort of primitive tool approved by my HMO.
It's Grade A Nightmare Fuel, that's what it is!
I can't imagine something that looks like that is used for something pleasant. No idea, actually.
Craig Clayton (#1) has the best guess. Yank those babies out.
It was accurately depicted in the 1993 documentary "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" as an instrument of tortue common in Arabic prisons. It is used to pinch the tongue and stretch it, therefore loosening it ready to be used for betrayal of secrets.