One of my professors has offered us extra credit if we can identify
the tool pictured at http://www.jimfeely.com/old_tool/old_tool.shtml. 
I need to know what it does and why it was made the way it was.  For
more details see the webpage above.

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Request for Question Clarification by mrlathwell-ga on 02 Oct 2002 18:31 PDT

What trade is associated with this the tool?

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Clarification of Question by jamespf-ga on 02 Oct 2002 22:33 PDT

Pretty much everything about this tool is unknown, including it's
trade.  I think the professor picked it up a a flea market or
something.  The only thing we know for sure about it is what is listed
on my website, which isn't much.  He's had it for quite a few years
and noone has been able to poitivly identify it.  A lot of guesses,
but know one has known for sure.  I can contact him and ask for
pictures of diffrent angles if you think that might help.

I took the liberty of forwarding this question to my favorite old tool
expert, who provides the following comment:

"The length and an end view of the galvanized head would be helpful.
That the head is galvanized implies moisture such as soil work and
generally galvanized items are not used in food preparation, hence I
doubt it is a meat tenderizer unless, instead of galvanizing which is
done with zinc, the coating is really tin.. The handle implies that
the tool is not twisted or pulled but pushed straight ahead. The
points are too sharp for branding and usually galvanized tools are not
heated. It could be a perforator or a prod, brutal though it may seem;
or a gaff of some sort like moving fish along a conveyor belt. My
final guess, and it is just a guess, is that it was used in the ice
industry to manipulate or breakdown small blocks of ice. Let me know
if you ever learn what it's use really was!"

My husband suggests a pastry piercer, from before stainless steel days
- pre 1910 or so.