Gee, I think it's too nice to give to a kid that's only going to break it...what pretty, mellow wood.....why don't YOU keep it and give him something plastic that doesn't matter if it gets broken.

I'm with Sandra....it's lovely! Save it and give it to him when he's old enough to appreciate it.
Could it possibly be a reel for fishign or crabbing?
Linda C

I appreciate the good advice. I bought a plastic kite reel to give him. I try to find things that he can look at and use from 'the good ol' days'. Of course, when it comes to toys, doing so can be a LOT more expensive than it should be... :-). At today's prices, I must have worn out, broke, or lost at least a hundred grand worth of toys and baseball cards.

Dang...I'm getting old....

Why don't you start him on a collection....of something he enjoys and can add to without taking out a second mortgage? I did this with my daughter, with something 'girley', and my husband, too...with him it was steins, now worth a bundle. The idea was to give them something to 'look for' when antiquing or fleamarketing, rather than just following me around, aimlessly..and, it worked. They are both inveterate antique hounds now, and our daughter's house is filled with antiques!

I think this is a home made item that was lovingly crafted for a child. However, if you can date it, it may have antique value as an example of toys from a bygone era. The desin of the reel is simple, effective, and interesting.

This contraption could have been used for other purposes such as reel for a trot line (a fishing line rigged with many evenly spaced hooks).

I surely thank you all for the fine suggestions and comments. Jemdandy, I have considered that it could be for use with a trot line or other things. The person I got it from was in her 70s and she told me it belonged to her father. She said it was a kite string reel but she could have been remembering incorrectly. There used to be a lot of trot line fishing in north Alabama; I've done it myself a few times...at least, back in my younger days in the ponds and creeks that ran through my grandfather's farm.

When my grandson is old enough, I'll show him the reel and tell hem a few stories and tales. That alone will be worth a lot to me.

Ken

Looks a lot like a yarn winder, not for kite string.

Back in the day when that was made if a kid got caught using it to fly a kite that would have got him an instant trip to the woodshed.

That is a builders chalk line.

Back in colonial times they did not have tecnical schools. When a young lad was 8 to 10 years old, if he was lucky he would be placed in an apprenticeship under a master tradesman. While in the apprenticeship the child lived in the Masters home and worked at the trade during the day, then did household chores at the house to pay for his keep. It wasn't as bad as some might think because in most cases the master treated the boy and if he were his own son.

In addition to learning the trade, the apprentice also learned how to make his own tools and tool box. They took exceptional pride in their tools and tool boxes because as they travelled from job to job the tool box and tools was your resume showing the quality of work you could do.

Thank you lazypup. I have it sitting on my mantle right now. Would you know about how old it is?