What are these? Carved wooden handle with metal tines?

Does anyone know what these are? They’re carved (on both sides) wood, and metal tines. Reminds me of a hair pick, but I couldn’t pull anything up on Google image search. Set of three.

 

Yup, hair combs.
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en...HeCTCQ8QjJkEegQIAhAC&biw=1453&bih=692&dpr=1.1

 

Is it a "Power To The People" Comb? https://www.historyworkshop.org.uk/radical-objects-the-black-fist-afro-comb/

 

You can also use it as a slicing gauge/meat tenderizer

 

I have a contrary idea; because the tines are not pointed, they are unlikely to be either for meat or hair.
I think these are "scrapers" to be used with a guiro or similar percussion instrument. Compare this one, in metal. OP's would likely be used with a wooden version, found all over the world.

 

I would not put that anywhere near my meat......!!!

& to tenderize.....you have to slap yer meat around....not stab it !!!

......

 

The guiro, especially if made of metal, is sometimes called a torpedo. Here are two more scrapers for the instrument; the first from Amazon, the second from Guiro, Koda 12" (30cm) Plastic Torpedo Guiro with Scraper, Brown (pianocentre.com)

 

Oh wow, yeah there are some that look almost exactly the same! Cool!

 

Very cool! I had never heard of this instrument before.

 

Neither have most of us!!

 

How big are they? I had picks with tines as long as the handles, or longer, but they were usually no longer than an average comb with a handle. That said, people who wore their fancy picks in their big Afros as a fashion statement (and because where the heck do you put them otherwise) often had picks 9 inches long, and sometimes longer.

As for the pointyness (or lack thereof) trust me, when they have metal tines, those things are dangerous enough without points! Very suitable for personal defense. Which cops definitely noticed, so pointy ends on metal tines were dangerous in several ways, so (to the best of my recollection) not that common.

I think the OP’s items would not be very comfortable to hold when using as a scraper, but I remember people using picks as scrapers, and I know at least one person who got in trouble for using a scraper as a pick, so I don’t know what the intended purpose of these might be, or how they may have been used.

Where did they come from?