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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: KevinM on December 21, 2011, 08:14:19 PM

Title: What the heck is this, I'm really puzzled?
Post by: KevinM on December 21, 2011, 08:14:19 PM

Here's a recent thrift store find that has me puzzled. In fact, when I bought it I thought it was some sort of puzzle or magicians rings of some type. But, the more I monkey around with it the less I'm convinced that's what it is.

The rings on it I think are made of stainless steel and the rest of the metal parts I think are made of iron. It's about 10 inches long when expanded out from the side of the triangle to the tip of one of the smaller rings. It's about 5 inches from the base of the curled metal iron piece to the top of the larger ring.

I was able to loop the larger ring through the two iron loops and remove the larger ring but that's all I can take apart. The object as a whole looks like it may be old but I really don't know. There are no makers marks or identifying marks of any type.

Does anybody know what the heck this thing is, what it's used for and how old it may be or the value of it?

Thanks,
Kevin

(http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/7131/widgete.jpg)

Title: Re: What the heck is this, I'm really puzzled?
Post by: mart on December 22, 2011, 06:09:44 AM

I have no idea !!!

Title: Re: What the heck is this, I'm really puzzled?
Post by: talesofthesevenseas on December 22, 2011, 01:32:10 PM

I know exactly what it is. These are puzzles for sure. My farrier (horseshoer) Marvin Kulp designed one similar that became quite popular. You can see how his worked below. I don't know the trick for yours but the principal should be similar:

(http://waynesword.palomar.edu/images/shoepuz2.gif)

Title: Re: What the heck is this, I'm really puzzled?
Post by: KC on December 22, 2011, 01:33:53 PM

Talesof...you beat me to it!  I am going to start referring to you as Lightening!  :)

Title: Re: What the heck is this, I'm really puzzled?
Post by: KevinM on December 22, 2011, 05:21:17 PM

Thanks talesofthesevenseas! You were right, after seeing your farrier's puzzle I was convinced this had to be a puzzle and monkeyed around with it some more until I figured out what it was supposed to look like unsolved (completed) and how to get it to that state.

I documented the solution to go with the puzzle so I decided to post it here in case anyone else was interested in the solution.

I still have no idea who made this or the age of the puzzle or what this type of puzzle is technically called if anything. I've always called this type of puzzle a  "Monkey Puzzle" but that's probably not the technical term for it.

(http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/1430/widget2r.jpg)

Title: Re: What the heck is this, I'm really puzzled?
Post by: talesofthesevenseas on December 22, 2011, 06:32:06 PM

I bet you cheered out loud when you got that ring off!

Title: Re: What the heck is this, I'm really puzzled?
Post by: KevinM on December 22, 2011, 06:49:49 PM

After I figured out the puzzle from A to Z then Z to A I cheered then laughed!

Title: Re: What the heck is this, I'm really puzzled?
Post by: mart on December 24, 2011, 05:23:32 PM

LOL  That takes more brain power than I want to use !!