Anybody know what this is?

[tjb]

This belonged to my sister-in-law's late husband. She found it when she was moving and has no idea what it is or where it came from. I have a clue what it might be, but I'm curious if anyone out there knows.

As best I can make it out, the lettering on the left is "IR&FCo"; on the right is "Anniston", and just below it to the right, it looks like "ARX".

Regards,
Terry

 

[gonzo]

Looks like a shoe last to me.

 

[T Bredehoft]

Shoe last. No, I don't know how it was used. (For putting soles on shoes)

 

[mmcmdl]

Waiting on this one ...................................I have something similar resting on the basement floor . I thought it came off a Shopsmith but who knows ?

 

[tjb]

I don't know what a 'Last' is, but you guys are on the right track. I just googled it, and IR&FCo. is (was?), indeed, a blacksmith company in Anniston, AL that made cobbler stands and stuff for shoemakers and cobblers. I found a couple of photos that are exactly like this one. Looks like a row boat anchor to me.

 

[gonzo]

The last is the center of the entire shoemaking process, in which the shoemaker starts with the last and then builds the shoe out from there. The shape of the last determines the fit, performance, ergonomics, and style of a shoe, and is also what makes a shoe suitable for playing basketball, climbing mountains, or running a marathon.

 

[vtcnc]

 

[talvare]

It's actually a cobbler's anvil. I have one that belonged to my grandfather. My Dad said he used it to repair all the kids shoes.

Ted

 

[benmychree]

A shoe last is a wooden form that a shoe is built on; many different lasts for many different foot sizes. I saw a German video of a cobbler building a pair of shoes for a young lady, starting with measuring her feet and finding a last to match and the process of every step to a finished pair of shoes, all by hand work, except for a person powered stitching machine for attaching the sole.

 

[savarin]

The last is the center of the entire shoemaking process, in which the shoemaker starts with the last and then builds the shoe out from there. The shape of the last determines the fit, performance, ergonomics, and style of a shoe, and is also what makes a shoe suitable for playing basketball, climbing mountains, or running a marathon.

Always wondered why it was called a last when its the first thing the cobbler uses