Home Made-possibly from skelton key

This item has no marks or indications of use. It seems to be home made and is almost 3 inches tall. The top looks like a Skelton key. You twist the ‘key’ and the blades underneath turn. The blades are very sharp and are copper or similar. The rest is galvanized and seems to be soldered.
Any idea on its use?
Thanks,
Charles

 

Oops Sorry

 

looks like something you'd put a candle out with......

 

The mechanism, in its primitive way, reminds me of the ice cream scoops with the lever you depress to have a blade swivel around & scrape the ice cream out.

 

Bronwen, yes, it does - but I don't quite get the outside (support?) pieces...



from: https://picclick.com/1800s-ice-cream-scoop-primitive-antique-tin-kitchenware-163667764121.html

 

OP's differs from the several others among the picclick listings in not having a single pot-handle type grip. I do think they are handles, not supports; however does seem like it would be awkward to use as a scoop. Is there some other sticky food it might have been used for? Mashed potatoes? Design would lend itself more to using 2 hands. A really, really big tub of ice cream?

 

1st pic makes it look only 3 inches tall....

 

Not an unreasonable size for ice cream. I keep thinking maybe they used to mold it in cone shapes, except how would it sit while the ice cream was firming up.

The part that looks like it came from a key has marks.

 

Mechanism for scraping out wax that gets on sides? Isn't 3 inches kind of large for a candle snuffer? Idea does have the virtue that it could function that way with either type of handle. No signs of smoke accumulation though.

 

"Design would lend itself more to using 2 hands"
....... at only 3 inches tall you'd have a problem getting more than two fingers in each side...... & then what ?

 

As the King of Siam said to Anna, It's a puzzlement. I can see how I would hold it in quite a natural way, with 2 middle finger inside the handle & other digits bracing it from the outside. I just don't see how I could hold it that way & scoop ice cream without scraping my knuckles in it.

 

or if those inner bars would be nessessary for butting out a candle..??

 

It is an Ice Cream scoop...... Ever make home made Ice Cream? Different consistency... My Ex Father-in -law made ice cream to sell in the Philippines and I have made it several times over the years . Backwards Global warming theory... Ice cream has gotten colder and harder .

 

You wouldn't have had difficulty doing it with a double handled gizmo like this? That's the confounding feature.

 

So, this item mimics many examples of ice cream scoops with a release mechanism from 1800’s
The difference being the double handle. One reference (Clads Disher) mentioned using a spoon to fill the scoop, making it more of a mold for uniform portions, and then spinning top to release on to a plate with a cone shape. That makes the double handle easier to understand since it would not be used to scoop.
Thanks for the leads
Charles

 

You still need to be using one hand to spoon in the ice cream or one to turn the blades. I think you have a mutant!

 

The marks on the ‘key’ I assumed were somthing found on skeleton keys. But I have scrolled through many images of skeleton keys and see they rarely have marks??
So, did a tinker or tin smith make this and used keys for the handle? Or was the key part purpose made in a mass produced factory??
I suppose the King of Siam has the last word, “it’s a puzzlement.”

 

It’s hard to know but I picture it like this; you get a spoonful of ice cream, pack it in this thing and when it’s full you turn it up over a plate and twist to release a perfect cone shaped ice cream serving.......