What is this???

[djslacker]

I was recently metal detecting with my friend at an old farm site in northern Minnesota and we found this. We're not sure what it is and we can't find anyone else that has a good idea either. The feather is 2.5" long and the shaft is 2.25" long. it weighs a couple of ounces. It's made out of metal (duh). We found it 10-15' away from a house, between it and a cloths line area. I would say that the farmsite is at least 100 years old.

-Luther in MN

[PAPPY]

See if it has any woods fragments inside of it. To me it appears to be and old cane top...PAPPY

[NB Digger]

I was thinking water spigot handle, but the cane top works too. As thin as the "leaf" handle is it might be uncomfortable as a cane handle! Pappy usually hits it right on though!
Travis

[PAPPY]

TRAVIS, That was the first thing to come to my mind too was a spigot handle. Does it have and markings at all inside or out?

I think it may be a part of a valve for an old gas lamp. We took several out of our farmhouse when we gutted it. They were shutoff valves at the end of each individual line, before the part they ignited. Could be wrong, just looks familiar.

[Paul of Harrisburg]

Yep, that is indeed a tapered valve for use with natural or LP gas.
The idea is simple, in that the gas flows through the hole when it is turned inside the matching tapered valve body, so that the hole in each lines up.
Could be off an old stove, or in the supply line itself.
Interesting find!
Paul

[LIGuy1202]

Our gas shut-offs were dead threaded (threads that don't form a screw) and came in two pieces like, a hinge pin, that fitted together to prevent accidental leaks.

This, to me, looks more like a jug spigot shut-off which used only the cork-like taper and gravity to stay in place. However, jug spigots usually had a round *wood* handle while gas shut-offs usually had a *brass* handle like this one. Water shut-offs came in all metals, as well as, wood, ceramic, and bone...though iron would likely rust soonest.

What type of metal is this? Brass and cast iron have differing corrosion rates and patterns, as well as, different practical applications. I think gas shut-offs were all made of brass...something to do with least likely to cause a spark.

[Wildwood]

djslacker, Don't really know but it looks like a spigot of some sort to me. You know I have one of those crockery things for lemonade and they all have a "spigot" you turn to let the lemonade out. The feather would have been the handle and the part with the "cone shape" and the hole would turn allowing the lemonade/tea/water to come our or not. Otherwise might be a faucet handle of some sort. Looks like the hole was to allow the water or stuff to come out according to which way it was turned. Just a guess. Neat find!