What on earth is this ??? .

[allotment gal]

A lady was clearing out her shed and asked if i would like this implement among other items. Can anyone please tell me what it is and how to use it as i have no idea and neither does anyone i know? Thanks in advance!.

[Fred Perry]

In the old days the victorian gardeners used to make their own tools for working in the veg and flower gardens of estates, maybe this is one of them tools!
All the best
Fred P

[Fred Perry]

Looks like the swivel blade cuts or shears an object against the serated fixed teeth,the teeth are large so mas to hold and steady the object as one aplies leverage to a long broom handle type arm!
Fred P

[allotment gal]

there are no sharp edges on the item at all and when you lift it off the ground the pointy bits go upwards and the main frame bit wobbles a lot (sorry its very hard to explain how it moves without you actually holding it up yourself) 8-<

[MURFE 18]

i think i,ve saw one of these things before they used it as aflattening tool to get ground level,

[Lesley Jay]

Will the pointy bits reach the ground? If they do it could have been used to mark out seed drills.

[allotment gal]

yes they do touch the ground, i thought about that idea earlier actually, its a possibility. I must put another broom handle on it cos my OH took it off to make a new hoe before i got a chance to take it to the allotment to try it.

[Snadger]

It's a push/pull hoe lute!
You use it similarily to a hoe but it has the added advantage of 'luting' the ground. Keep it on the soil, pull backwards and forwards (as if you were hoovering!) and progressively move backward.
Sisis make a tool called a Trulute which is for really fine grading and levelling, this is just a smaller version!

[bubblewrap]

A Victorian pooper scooper?

[allotment gal]

Thanks snadger and everyone for your answers on this, i shall put another handle on it and go hoe hoe hoeing.

[Flummery]

I think it's a hoe too Snadger. I've seen one like it - tried it out too but found it a tad awkward. I think it needs a special technique - a bit like a scythe does.

[seasprout]

Erm..

I Think it's a bear trap, do you get many bears on your allotment..? if not then it worked.

[allotment gal]

I will bear that in mind, thanks for the warning!!

[stigoftheplot]

Have you got a local museum. They'd be your best bet to find out. Looks a bit small for bears though, possibly for ferocious hedgehogs?

[Jayneylass]

Its a push hoe! Looks like an antique in good nick.
Would the local museum be interested?