What have we here?

[Steve in VA]

This is steel. Heavy. The pictures are opposite sides. The holes are various size but share 1 feature. For each hole, 1 side is flush while the opposite side has a recess around it. It seems it may have been used to make flares. But, its really heavy so would be cumbersome and any length of tube would be trapped.

Used with an anvil? The handle is shaped and sized for your hand.

So, what is it?

 

[Mule Meat]

May be used to make pegs for wood frame/beam construction.

 

[Fawteen]

It it were wooden, I'd say "Board of Education"

 

[JD Dave]

Bolt size checker?

 

[Fred Werring]

It it were wooden, I'd say "Board of Education"

First thing that came to my mind.

 

[560Dennis]

Chamfer only on one side , interesting , riveting question

 

[Steve in VA]

Chamfer only on one side , interesting , riveting question

And they alternate side to side.

 

[joeysmith]

Bolster plate for punching holes through hot iron ?

 

[DanielW]

I believe it's for making nail & rivet heads - it would have been made by a local blacksmith back in yesteryear - probably had a new hole and countersink for the head swaging put in every time he needed a new size of rivet. Yours seems to be more made for rivets than for nail heads. I have something similar sitting on the old forge that's in one of our barns. This picture below isn't mine - I took it from online:

 

[DanielW]

A couple more pictures/videos of similar ones, varyingly called 'swage blocks' and 'bolster blocks':

 

[Steve in VA]

A couple more pictures/videos of similar ones, varyingly called 'swage blocks' and 'bolster blocks':
View attachment 134866

I believe, at the risk of being punny, that you've hit the nail on the head. Thank you.

 

[flembo]

If the holes are threaded it's for checking bolt sizes as JD Dave said. But I also think it can be used to restore damaged threads, 18th and early 19th century gun smiths use a tool similar to that to make screws. They show up at antique gun auctions and gun shows once in a while.

 

[oldsarge]

First thing that came to my mind.

YUP !!

 

[Steve in VA]

If the holes are threaded it's for checking bolt sizes as JD Dave said. But I also think it can be used to restore damaged threads, 18th and early 19th century gun smiths use a tool similar to that to make screws. They show up at antique gun auctions and gun shows once in a while.

No threads that I can detect. I haven't looked closely enough or measured to see if there is any taper to them.

 

[Non-farmer]

Good call, Daniel. I was with the group thinking paddle. I figured it was steel, so I guessed it was reserved for the very naughty kids.

 

[Larry EC-OH]

Could be for drawing wire into progressively smaller diameters.

 

[SkipperII]

I wonder how so many of us knew what it would be, if made of wood???

 

[hermit]

It it were wooden, I'd say "Board of Education"

I agree. My algebra teacher in high school had one that looked a lot like that, and she believed in using it freely too.

 

[Jim in LA]

It it were wooden, I'd say "Board of Education"

It’s what Iron Man’s Mom used on him when he was a kid.

 

[Fawteen]

I wonder how so many of us knew what it would be, if made of wood???

It's a mystery, ain't it?