Mark me down as interested :P

Can't tell, but it strikes me as some sort of boring (as in, to bore a hole) instrument. Does the spade-shaped piece at the end turn with the rod? Is it fixed to the rod?

Don't know what it is, but I don't think it would work well for boring through anything as the spade-shaped end is blunt.

It seems to be made for adjusting or holding something else. I wonder if it's part of old farm equipment.

Casey

Only the center ears turn. The rest is fixed together.

It appears to be part of an old shoe stretcher, I have one similar to the link below.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/212724441/wooden-shoe-stretcher?ref=related-0

Awesome ID-ing dude!

Fantastic. Thank you.

so how do you adjust this thing? It looks like the wood shoe thing has slots to fit the spade on the end. The wood shoe will then lock the center piece to the end and the handle is locked to the end also? I don't see how the crank will turn relative to the center piece with the wood in place. What am I missing?

I'm guessing that the spade part rotates freely (or at least is supposed to) even though tim said that 'the rest is fixed together'.

Turning the handle would cause the spade to move forward or back (but the spade itself wouldn't turn) which would spread or contract the wooden pieces.

Otherwise I'm also baffled at how it would work.

You are right the wood part is in two pieces. I do believe the spade does rotate as well. The wood fits over the spade and by turning the ears it separates the wood inside the shoe. This tools length, Which I will go measure seems to be for a big shoe.

Aha. If the spade rotates freely then it makes sense.