Does anyone know what this is?

i just can’t figure out what on earth this can be for. Anyone know?

 

I would guess ice cutters. The handles look sprung so when you release your grip, it automatically opens up. After you get your block of ice from the delivery man, you can hit the block with the little jutting out piece to crack off a corner, then place the broken-off part between the curved blades and squeeze, cutting it into smaller bits.

This is just a guess!

 

Hi, thank you so very much! It was driving me nuts pondering over it. I thought it might have been something to do with glass blowing!
Much obliged.

 

Hi again,

Well you two may not have got it right but you did point me in the right direction. I looked at the ice cutters but they just weren’t right somehow. It did lead me to discover though, that they are actually for cutting sugar. Sugar Nippers! Same action, different thing to cut. Thank you both.

 

How big are they?
Could be sugar tongs. Sugar used to come in cone shapes and pieces would be broken off as needed. I still have the ones we used on the farm.
Patd

Opps, see you figured it out!

 

yup, sugar nips......mid 1800's....circa....give or take ..

Before the time of loose crystals, sugar was made into cones called sugarloaves. These tools called 'Sugar Nippers' were used to cut small portions off

 

I love learning something new, makes my day!!

 

Me too!