The casting is marked American S.M.&T St. Louis. The handle turns something that is missing, possibly a grinding wheel? The angled wheel is raised and lowered by a lever that may connect by chain or cable to a foot pedal? My initial thought is that it might be related to valve grinding... ideas?
I believe it's for turning (rolling) an edge on a panel prior to 'hemming'.
ReplyDeleteTurns out it's a production "fudge wheel;" a tool used in the shoemaking trade to mark out the upper sole stitches of men's dress shoes (something I have no interest in). Took me a while to visualize it but here it is:
ReplyDeletehttps://nasserviesshoes.com/2023/05/08/boot-shoemaking-tools-findings-for-sale/
https://nasserviesshoes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/031a2671.jpg?w=822
And here is an explanation (kinda) of how the hand fudgewheel is used; the production model I assume is more consistent but works the same:
https://carreducker.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-can-you-tell-its-bespoke-shoe-2.html
Here's a picture of the machine with it's foot pedal that I guess you can use to put some real pressure into the indentations:
https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images1/1/0416/25/antique-landis-american-shoe-machine_1_a1e629085b96cfecced5e986f2c49410.jpg
I looked at a couple pairs of my dress shoes and sure enough the tops of the soles do have marks that would be made by that wheel.
I don't know how I got this old without learning the word "fudgewheel." Thank you, Dave.
ReplyDelete--rats
Sounds like an insult... "ya old fudgewheel!"
DeleteI've been finding these tools in various antique stores, I know little of leather working so I have trouble visualizing what they're for, thanks Dave!
ReplyDeleteI don't know why it's called a fudge wheel but those little indentations are supposed to look like stitches so maybe it was used to "fudge" stitches?
ReplyDelete