Another what the heck is this item thread.

[Baulde]

My old man and mom seem to collect all manner of items. And usually mah dear old Pa. Is pretty sharp on identifying items others cannot. But he purchased a box of items at the auction for a few things he wanted and this was included in the box. I have asked around and nobody I have talked to seems to have even a clue what it "could be"

If anyone can shed some light on this it would be appreciated. Ill describe it as best I can.

Pictures are included.

It is a brass bell shape with an "insert". The very top brass "ring" with the knurling unscrews. There is a tube the drops to the bottom of the bell. It is heavy and full of a black powder. very little of this powder will come out if shaken. Almost as if there are two small holes at the bottom of the tube in the middle. The tube will not pull out. but can spin and wiggle a little bit when the top "washer" is taken off. When the top ring is screwed back on it stops said tube from moving as the ring screws right onto the tube.

The "insert" has a nut on the bottom that can be removed. Its almost as if something was supposed to be screwed into this insert and then placed into this bell.

On the bottom it has "Peerage" "Made In England" stamped onto the bottom.

I'm really curious as to what this could be.

 - E

[talesofthesevenseas]

If it is full of "a black powder" I would assume that you have got a black powder measure as in gun powder and great care should be taken when handling it as it can easily ignite. I would assume you've got gun powder and treat it as such until it can be correctly identified.

[mart]

Does the bell shaped piece attach to the longer piece at the top?  Its hard to tell as it is in the pic. Actually the bottom one as it is shown looks like a handle for a beer keg. Like in a pub for draft beer.  I looked up Peerage, Made in England and found that it seems to be a town that was known for their brass items. But didn`t see anything like your item.
You said it had a black powder,, maybe for a gun !!

[talesofthesevenseas]

Here you can date it approximately by the Peerage maker's mark. Look like this is post-1945:
http://www.oldcopper.org/peerage.htm

[Baulde]

I would be amazed if it was black powder and my dad did not recognize it. He is the go to guy for identifying old rifles. He gets calls from the gun club to teach reloading, identifying firearms, even down to the minute details if everything is 100% original etc...

So if it is black powder or related in anyway to firearms it would blow my mind he was unable to identify it.

The part in the bottom photo is in the first photo. It is inserted into the top of the bell. You can see the two parts together in the first photo, but you can only see the very end of the nub thing. It goes in the hole in the bell and sits on the bottom of the object.


*Edit* The long part that "inserts" into the bell simply slides into the tube that is in the bell. It will fall out if you were to turn it upside down. There is no guarantee this is even originally with the bell or someone just stuck it in there.

If it is somehow related to firearms I would like to see his face explaining that to him.... Something related to firearms that he "missed".

Ill have to take some measurements but I estimate its only about six inches tall.

[talesofthesevenseas]

I would think he would have recognized the powder then, but I would still handle it carefully until you know for sure what it is. I'm trying to think what else that powder could be- Maybe a spice of some sort? Seems strange for post-1945.

[mart]

Well if its gunpowder,, that would be easy to find out. Just sprinkle a tiny bit on a nonflammable surface and put a match to it.  It will sparkle as in the sparklers you get at a fireworks stand.  If its only six inches long it probably wouldn`t hold much black powder. Spices were a bit expensive, does it smell??  Does it feel extra fine like graphite maybe !!  OK  I am running out of ideas for black powder.

[fancypants]

Cool little puzzler , Baulde .

Perhaps the 'black powder' you've mentioned is a clay &/or ceramic compound , intended to weight the base of your item ....

I'd guess that this item was intended as one that would dispense dry powders (talc , soap) , perhaps even in a barber shop .... seems like it may have a missing part (or two?) from the central stem , though .

Thanks for posting it !

[waywardangler]

It does not resemble any black powder measure I have ever seen.  Black powder comes in the form of granules and not powder.  There are different sizes of granules based on the type of powder...fg, ffg, fffg, etc.  The granules resemble black pepper coming from a grinder...rather coarse.

I must be missing something or the explanation and pictures are not clear.  Can I see the brass parts unscrewed from each other and lined up next to each other?  What does that first pic have to do with the 3rd pic?  Maybe I am not thinking straight tonight but I do not get it.

I have no idea what size this is but it looks like a finial to a lamp to me.

[Baulde]

The 3rd pic has the brass item that is inserted into the top of the brass object.
The item in the 3rd pic is seen in the first picture only most of it is inside the bell object.

Ill take more photos of this tomorrow when I am at my parents place. Ill take it apart to its pieces and measure it see what this crowd makes of it then.

[waywardangler]

Peerage Brass Successor to Pearson Page brand name c1946 onwards and generally used for original designs but also on reproductions.  Trade Mark registered to Pearson Page Jewsbury, Dulverton Road, Witton, Birmingham 6.   Peerage Brass were later at Sharston Road, Wythenshaw, Manchester M22 4TH. but are possibly not trading.  Trade mark may have lapsed in 1991.  
      
  This 'Peerage' mark has 'Made in Ireland' added underneath.  It is found on souvenirs with emblems attached that are designed for the Irish market.  

Looks like part of a candlestick http://www.oldcopper.org/pearson_page_candlesticks.htm as Peerage did make candlesticks.
    

[sapphire]

Any chance this could have been a pencil sharpener ?........only other reason for 'black powder' I could think of 

[cogar]

Maybe the "black powder" is dried up ink?

That almost hasta be a "desk top" item.

[mart]

You may be right Cogar, he did say that it looked like something attached to the third item, bottom and that it just dropped down into the bell shaped piece.  Perhaps a personal stamp for letters? At six in. approx. that would be about the right size for a desktop item.

[mariok54]

Hi Baulde ... Any chance, as suggested by Wayward, of some pics of the whole thing dismantled, as much as it can be? Also a full shot of the base?

This is driving me insane!