Cool stuff

[kerrpow94]

Hello all just wondering of anyone has any information on some of these cool artifacts my buddy has he let me see tonight. Ant information will help! Thank you

[SurfaceHunter]

Is the last one stone?

[tomclark]

scythe hone and knife whetstone

[painshill]

The first item is a razor hone by William Marples Sons of Sheffield in England and, although it says 'dry' it could also be used wet. It would originally have been housed in a metal box, like this one:



The company was established in 1830 and registered the single shamrock trademark in 1862, using it until at least 1875 (and possibly beyond that date) when they registered two new trademarks: a triple shamrock and ‘HIBERNIA’. They originally made joiners’ tools, brace bits and skates before branching out into bladed items in general and sharpening accessories


The second item is a scythe/sickle sharpening stone, as Tom says. Indeterminate age.


The third item is a gate or door latch by the Buffum Tool Company of Louisiana, Missouri. It uses an 1896 patent filed by J.M. Proctor, but Buffum wasn’t established until around 1907. Here’s a drawing from the original patent with a later Buffum latch alongside it:



Buffum made bricklaying and masonry tools, then later automobile and engineering tools, plus all manner of cast iron and forged steel items. The company was sold in 1924 and renamed to “Buffum Tools, Inc”, so your latch predates that change. The swastika was their registered trademark at a time when it was regarded as a ‘good luck’ symbol, before its adoption by the Nazi party in Germany.

William King David's book is fairly self-explanatory. I can't read the frontespiece from your small picture, but there is a publication date which will tell you whether it's an early or first edition. It was reprinted a number of times over the years. Note that first editions are not necessarily more valuable than later ones. If a book has collector desirability, the value goes up for the first pressing of the first edition.

[kerrpow94]

Thank you very much! Merry Christmas!