O Galoots:
John Ruth wrote asking about what "appear to be large triangular burnishers.
Envision a 12" triangular tapered file _13/16" wide_, without teeth nor any sign
that it ever had teeth. It's in a 5" wooden handle with a brass ferrule that's
made of simple brass tubing. ( Tool is 17" LOA )....The mark is "K & F" enclosed
in an ellipse. "Made in USA" is wrapped around the exterior of the eclipse.""My
speculations run toward a folding or creasing tool for bookbinding. Second most
likely seems to be leatherwork...."
Wotcher, John. Its not any bookbinding tool known to me. It's certainly not a
manufactured binding tool, though it might be a user-made tool for a use I don't
know. But for creasing and folding, binders tend to prefer (in order) bone,
brass, stainless steel, extremely hard wood. The hands stay clean and these
materials are felt as gentler on paper or leather. There are various kinds of
carbon steel tools around, but they tend to be low preference because of the
danger of rust getting on the hands or paper (there is a lot of water in a
bindery, at least by woodworking standards). Also, a chemical reaction of water,
leather, and steel causes a deep black indelible stain on leather, and even a
tiny dot of this is a major disaster. A few long steel tools with wooden handles
are used (especially burnishers for leather), but they tend to be used heated so
they typically have long handles and short massive heads. The described tool
just doesn't sound like something I would find in a bindery.
Tom ConroyBerkeley