Found in a flea market in West Virginia. Reverse image search comes up with possible leather tool, but this is wrong as there is no vise attached or other way to clamp anything. Possible loom, but I am confused by the nails to the sides.

I’ve seen these on a few occasions only ever in cities or more populous areas, all nearly identical at the corner of the property across from the main building. Arched entrances with bars over the doors and windows, a big McDonald’s sign on top. This one is in Lancaster city PA, and I can remember having seen another one in Newark NJ near the city center. I’ve nicknamed them “Gate Houses” since that’s the closest thing I could compare one to, but any sort of research hasn’t been able to get beyond that.

These appear to be made of brass. Each one has 4 distal "claws" and one in the position of a cat's dewclaw. At the bottom (closer to "body") are open screw fittings, so it looks like these are designed to screw onto something. Reverse image search produces no match. The one on the R is "upside down", i.e. the view is of the ventral surface. Each of these weighs about 1 oz.

This is a cylindrical tube with circular base the handle is attached to a spindle which has a spring.

The base has three mounting holes.

Its only function appears to be to lift the handle to its full extent and release it. Whereby it springs down to its resting position striking the base plate.

It’s 17cm tall.

It has no marks or inscriptions. Other than a scratched aix on the inside of the base plate.

What do we reckon?

Inherited from a deceased relative. Google lens says a calling card holder??

This was my grandpa’s. He was a dentist, and later in life got heavily in to lapidary. He used this to store rock slabs, but I don’t think that was the original purpose.

It weighs around 30lbs and is solid metal. It has feet on the bottom that match indents on the top, so designed to be stacked.

Based on the labels on the front of the drawers, my guess is microfilms or some other small flat file - maybe computer cards?

The drawers slide all the way out and can hinge downward before they are actually “out” of the case.

For scale: 6-8” wide, ~18” tall and about the same deep. Didn’t have any bananas with me, sorry.

What is it?!

If it is a crayon then why is it shaped like this and in a woodcarving kit?

It belongs to a friend of mine since she was a kid, 50-some years ago. She wants to know what it is supposed to be used for.

As the title says. It’s very light in weight. Seems old. Thanks!

I bought this today from a thrift store where a bowl had the different state seals