Old Mississippi something?

Beshires1

Junior Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2016
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Here is another .....something?... I have it listed on two other forums, No One can identiy (Me included). I hunt areas where people had to move or abandon their homes in 1955. most of the locations are located by stone foundations, no mortar. Anyway here is something...I mean it has to be at least 50 - 60 years old. but what in the heck is it?
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There was a ring on the end of the rod but I broke it cleaning it. there are no signs of screw holes or means to it ever have being hard attached to anything. This leads me to think it was used with rope or leather straps. it folds up neatly then, when you pull on the rod it opens up and another curved ring extends out. I don't have a clue.
 
I think it may be a trip lever for an old cattle automatic water bowl?
 

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Looks like, what I would call an ascender, but that would be for rock climbing..

Like it would slide up a pipe, for example, but lock when pulled by a rope attached to the ring that broke..

Just thinking out loud...

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Maybe some sort of tensioning device. Straps are attached to one side, the other end attached to whatever. When you have it all tied together you flip that ring over and it tightens the whole works up.
 
I have been suggested that it is a old leather horse collar buckle. I canno't confirm this. Also its been suggested that it could be one of a pair used on a horse bridal used with no bits and to nudge the animal on one side or the other to rein.
 
Met a Old timer today, who has a lot of old mule farming equipment, Collars, hames, single trees, bits and more stuff to numerous to mention. Anyway, I showed this thing to him and he said that It was indeed a mule collar top buckle. He said that it was a "fancy" one and didn't see much use. beings how it cost a bit more and was practically a do-nothing special, device. He said that once the top buckle has been latched or tied, that the collars were then usually put on and taken off over the mules head, without ever UN-securing the top buckle. This is because leaving the collar fastened at the top allowed the collar to better form to the animals neck and unfastening and spreading the collar to put on or take off would unnecessarily weaken the collar leather at the bottom causing it to wear out and need replacing quicker. Sorta like manufactures today making parts to things out of plastic where if it were metal it would never wear out.I have yet to confirm the use of this thing but because of the lack of any other pictures of it in use as a collar buckle, I am now leaning towards what he told me as truth, Beings how collars with this style buckle were more expensive, less were bought. The ones that were bought have worn out long ago, the only thing remaining is the rusting away old buckle. But this old man still has his Granddaddy's old mule collar you know, the cheaper ones that didn't have the "fancy" buckle..........
 
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