It might be a milking stool...

That was my first thought, too. Although I haven't done enough milking in my lifetime to be familiar with them. :-)

For some reason, though, I thought milking stools had a more contoured seat. Guess it could depend...

No milking experience here, either. It definitely looks like a milking stool to me. Mostly likely handmade by whomever used it to suit their own needs. The handle was for moving it easily from cow to cow and the hole was to hang it on the wall between milking times. Very primitive, very cool! I wouldn't paint them.

I found one that seems similar.

Here is a link that might be useful: 350.00 milking stool with a handle.

Oops, I missed the top part of your post. I suppose it is a repro. Still neat.

Could be a repro of a Cobblers bench?? --I doubt this -- too short in the neck -- Could be a repro of a shoeshine stool ?? -- I notice it has a hole where some other part could have been mounted!!??

Just thought I'd add that I ended up refinishing them rather than painting as planned. I'm not the most experienced (or best) refinisher, but I really like the way they turned out. They've moved from the porch to the living room. :-)

You can call it anything you want to call it....it's something made by or for a little shop dealing with "cute stuff".
A milking stool was a small stool used by the milker to sit on while milking. It often had a handle or a cut out spot so it could be easily moved to the next cow in the line and often had a hole so it could be easily hung on the wall....and often an upturned bucket served as a milking stool.
As to what those 2 are....could be to sit on, put your feet on, for a plant, or as a side table.
A cobbler's bench is long having a place for the cobbler to sit, a place to work and a place for tools, nails and the like.
And then there's the farrier's bench, which is different still.
Linda C

Oh, Linda, please don't tell me cute! I HATE cute!! Even "ugly" is better than cute. :-)

At 25" long and 18" wide, they make nice tables. They really do look handmade and old, although I know they can't be any older than 1928. I think my lousy sanding job contributes to the old look...

They look primitive. Primitive can't be cute. I'm not cute either. :-)

LOL!!...Any shop making and selling Early American pine repros pre 1970 was definitly making and selling "cute"! I'll bet there were ruffles and sugar buckets, and maybe even a primitive stuffed cat sitting on a cute child's rocker, on a darling braided rug!
But take the benches out of the picture and put them in "anti-cute" and they become simple and primitive.
But I will guarantee, you add an old painted milk can and a wooden cow, and they will become cute again....so be very very careful!
Linda C

I love your simple, primitive stools. Can we see pictures of your refinish?

Thanks, eandhl. I took a photo today and will post it soon. I have a feeling it won't look much different from the photo above, although in person it really looks much better.

Linda, lol...You bring up something that's been on my mind lately. I want to try my hand at painting furniture and flea market pieces, but I want to avoid "cute." This may be difficult...

A friend's daughter is an artist and does painted furniture....nothing "cute" about it. Unfortunatly I don't have any pictures....well maybe one, I'll look.
She has done things like antique wooden ironing boards with figures on them...several were depictions of Belsnickles and there was an Uncle Sam or 2...she did an oval coffee table for a lake home with a trout on it. Very realistic, sparkles in the fins and all. She did a table and chairs for a charity auction a few months back...but for the life of me I can't remember what it looked like....but it brought big bucks!
Do you know Sticks? It is on the edge of cute....but I really love their stuff.
Linda C

Here is a link that might be useful: sticks

Linda, I'd never heard of Sticks, but I can see why you like it. I like it, too. To me, only the hearts put it over the "cute" edge. The rest of the stuff is very appealing!

Okay, here's my somewhat casually refinished table:

Very nice!! All that's missing is the smiley face and the ribbon on the handle....;)

Ha! Yes, perhaps a Raggedy Ann face with kisses and hugs painted all around. Cute!

Beautiful, I love primitives.

I have a milking stool that I snagged from the dump. It's in perfect shape. Your stool looks like someone used a cutting board (hence the hole to hang it up) & turned it into a stool.

I'd say it was homemade. No matter what, it's a great find!

HU-626388474....check at the beginning of the thread, about 12 years ago. It's a piece from a shop specializing in early American repros. Milking stools were often hung between milkings. But this stool never saw a dairy barn. It's made as a repro of a primitive milking stool.