Antique Toolbox: September Mystery Tool

Can you guess the September mystery tool?

Here’s the September Mystery Tool—can you figure out what it was used for? For reference, it has a 13.625” height x 5.25” diameter x 14” diameter.

If you think you know what it is, share your guess using the contact form below. Include your full name and the town where you live. Submissions are due by Friday, September 26, 2025. The correct answer will be revealed on Wednesday, October 1. Good luck!

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Submission Form

For information, visit landisvalleymuseum.org.

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Answer to the August Mystery Tool Revealed!

Jennifer Royer, curator at Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, explains that this tool is a thread-cutting die used for forming screw threads. The opposing handle doubles as a tensioning screw. At the center of the body is a rectangular opening that holds five blocks, together forming three threading dies. Each threading die is positioned within its own block.

The first die, located between the block farthest from the tensioning screw and the adjacent block, is semicircular and measures 0.75 inches wide—likely intended for cutting threads on a 1-inch bolt. The second die, positioned between the third block from the end and its neighbor, measures 0.5 inches wide, likely intended for a 0.625-inch bolt. The final die, situated between the block closest to the tensioning screw and the next block, measures 0.375 inches across and was most likely used for threading a 0.5-inch bolt.

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