Small metal "tool" I'm trying to identify

just joined the forum. Hi everyone! I have a small item from my wife's grandfather that I'm trying to identify. It's metal and has a piece of leather lacing tied around it although I'm not convinced that the leather is there for any good reason. Would love to find out what this is called and what it was used for! Thank you!

Metal tool by Bugwump posted Jan 26, 2017 at 2:45 PM

 

Welcome!
Can we see under the disc?

 

A tamper for a tobacco pipe?
(And welcome!)

 

Welcome!

 

Bug, what are the dimensions, please?

 

3 3/8" long and the head is 5/8" wide

 

I'm prone to agree with Steve: at that size, I would think it's a tobacco pipe tool.

I'd assume that the flat end would be used as a tamper, and the other end to scrape dottle from the pipe's bowl. Some might (?) even call it a pipe nail, since it's a pretty simple design.

 

That's what it looks like !!

 

I'm gonna make another suggestion-our biz gets a lot of nails in the parking lot since a carpet installer has their dumpsters in same lot, I've had to have truck tires patched many times, The service station guy who patches them uses a similar tool to insert a rawhide strip (looks just like the leather wrapped around the tool.). I wouldn't suggest this unless your tool had the leather on it, but it does. Btw one of my Xmas presents to Ms. Spring was a rolling magnet that looks like a small push lawnmower, so she can push that thing along to clear a path thru the lot instead of just getting angry at the carpet people (they could care less and make that clear every time someone's tire gets nailed.) I guess the tool was sold like that, with leather and maybe a set of pliers so you could plug your own tires when needed. I'm going to look for a kit like that, the service station gets $20. For a kid to use that tool on my tire for about 3 minutes.

And "dottle" is a new word for me, thanks, I'll start using that vice some of the less dignified terms I now use for waste material expletives.

 

For less than $20 you can get that tool and a box of 50 plugs, Spring. A $1000 value!

But this is not that tool and leather is not the plug material.

 

That's under???

 

Those usually have a point and a hooked cut away side to accept and release the sealing strip.

 

and i watched once ....on my tire...as after the strip was inserted....the guy lit it ...to seal the repair with with an outside burn.

 

Yep. Some just cut it and some burn it.