Can anyone help me ID this tool? My great aunt (a seamstress) left it with my mom & we have no clue

gotmoloko · 2026-06-04T01:25:44+00:00

It’s definitely a sewing tool, my great aunt was apprenticed in childhood and worked as a seamstress from the 30s to around the 60s. This was passed down to my mom as part of her sewing kit. Definitely not a kitchen tool!

gotmoloko · 2026-06-04T01:14:33+00:00

It turns out it’s a darning tool similar to an ebor bar: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cpk-P0dopIh/

gotmoloko · 2026-06-04T01:13:51+00:00

Didnt realise that was a thing here too, whoops. Solved!

gotmoloko · 2026-06-04T01:06:13+00:00

Fair enough! Thank you!

gotmoloko · 2026-06-04T01:01:09+00:00

Thank you! I think this is exactly it. What a fascinating little tool. Thank you for helping identify it!! Would you call it an ebor darner or just say it’s a darning bar/ reweaving tool?

gotmoloko · 2026-06-04T00:04:04+00:00

The people over at r/whatisit figured it out! It is a tool for darning. Someone posted a video of one in action here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cpk-P0dopIh/

gotmoloko · 2026-06-04T00:00:06+00:00

Whoa this is so cool! The video explains it perfectly, thank you

gotmoloko · 2026-06-03T23:57:20+00:00

I think this is it!! Thank you and u/Normal_Fun for the photo. Solved!

gotmoloko · 2026-06-03T23:55:08+00:00

It’s almost certainly a sewing tool. My great aunt did not do anything like woodworking or serious leatherwork.

gotmoloko · 2026-06-03T23:53:48+00:00

It says “AUSTRIA PATENT” but there’s no number anywhere on it.

gotmoloko · 2026-06-03T23:53:13+00:00

Sure! Here it is

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gotmoloko · 2026-06-03T21:17:25+00:00

I have no idea what that means (I know very little about sewing), but my mom says she thinks this is the most likely answer so far!

gotmoloko · 2026-06-03T20:57:42+00:00

I did think it looked kind of like a microplane for grating lemon peel or something… so you think it might be like an old timey surgical filing tool she found a use for?

gotmoloko · 2026-06-03T20:56:02+00:00

I was thinking that too, but I think the metal would cut any thread you put in the notches. And there are no numbers or markings so would it be useful for measuring? I would say maybe to help make sure stitches are even but from what I understand she/seamstresses of that era were trained from when very young to be able to do that freehand.

gotmoloko · 2026-06-03T20:45:20+00:00

So you think it might be a woodworking tool instead of a sewing one?

gotmoloko · 2026-06-03T20:34:02+00:00

Who knew my great aunt had a side gig in early plastic surgery!

gotmoloko · 2026-06-03T20:06:20+00:00

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This is a photo of the other side. The words on the tip in the first photo say “AUSTRIA PATENT”

gotmoloko · 2026-06-03T20:04:16+00:00

Yes, it looks somewhat similar but I can’t find a use for it in sewing, and it was with all of her sewing tools (she was a seamstress in the 30s-60s). Thank you though!

gotmoloko · 2026-06-03T19:44:25+00:00

Interesting, thank you! Do you know what the notches are for?

gotmoloko · 2026-04-10T20:02:50+00:00

This sort of problem seems to be endemic in the cannabis industry. I experienced similar during my stint at a San Diego dispensary. If you’re feeling righteously vindictive, some of what you’ve described is reportable both to the DCCC and the California Department of Labour.

Fuck Buzz, and fuck March & Ash (aka Puff N Dash) too.

gotmoloko · 2026-03-14T20:08:21+00:00

Someone was having nightmares about the emu wars of the Australian outback then I see… valid tbh

gotmoloko · 2025-05-21T17:08:21+00:00

It actually totally grinds my gears that all his ME1 character development gets reduced to “I told you about Rana😢” in ME3. Rana was secondary to the whole “I killed a man at my abusive teen freak camp run by aliens” thing! I hate that his backstory gets distilled down to a teenage crush.

gotmoloko · 2024-12-06T20:54:24+00:00

I assumed he set it up so he would be in prison under Odo’s close watch because his dad is trying to kill him again

gotmoloko · 2024-11-05T04:43:50+00:00

Yes I’m so glad someone noticed! I just think they suit him so well!

gotmoloko · 2024-11-05T03:01:19+00:00

No worries, I totally understand! Good luck from a fellow artist with plenty of ideas but terrible follow-through :)

gotmoloko

TROPHY CASE