Need help identifying attached brass spring clip

[Original Poster]

Hello,
I picked the attached brass spring clip up at an antiques shop a couple of years ago for a few bucks and would just like to know its intended purpose and approximate age, please.
There's a small anchor embossed that might represent a brand?

Thanks!

[David_Old_Jersey]

If that embossing is genuine, means it came from Capt Blackbeard's treasure ship.

I think it's worth several Million Dollars.


For a second opinion probably worth visiting a Classic Wooden Boat forum.

[Connemara]

It's a snap shackle, an earlier version of a carabiner. Tie a line (attached to a fender, say) to the loop at the top and then you put the other end over something else -- another line or a bracket or your toe rail. Saves knots.

Probably another name among the really salty folks, but that's what I call them.


Connemara

[Original Poster]

That's what I needed. Does the hole at the hook end have a function other than weight reduction?

[Lancerbye]

Originally Posted by Original Poster

That's what I needed. Does the hole at the hook end have a function other than weight reduction?

That is so the thing can be either wired, tied or locked to prevent accidental or unauthorized opening. they were often used as a chain entrance lock at the railings were ship boarding was done.

[GeoPowers]

That hole is called a racker. Primarily used to take sun shots (non-azimuth), but also used as a fid to splice mooring lines.

Frank

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Connemara

It's a snap shackle...

It's a snap swivel. This is a snap shackle:

[Bash]

not a snap shackle. a sliding bolt hook.

on a real boat, it wouldn't be used for much more than a dog leash. maybe attach it to the chain that indicates to customers that they are not to ascend the companionway to the pilot house.

[boatman61]

Its a Lanyard Clip... various uses from flags to rope belts...

[Original Poster]

Does anyone recognize the anchor symbol as a specific brand and can anyone date this?

I know it's not worth much but for some crazy reason I'm just interested.

Thanks for the replies!

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Original Poster

Does anyone recognize the anchor symbol as a specific brand and can anyone date this?

I know it's not worth much but for some crazy reason I'm just interested.

Thanks for the replies!

Don't recognise the anchor symbol as a specific brand, looks kinda generic - but also a bit fuzzy! - could simply be an early example of identifying something as intended for the (recreational) marine market - so the price can be doubled (if it was for a working boat then less likely to have been marked as "marine"......not to say not part of a batch made for a specific ship (a Liner?!), if you can sketch that Anchor symbol up might be worth waving around any forums where folk like old ships.....but unless it comes from the Titantic (or suchlike) will still not have any value much above scrap.

From the design looks like intended to be used often (easy to snap onto something without having to slide the pin back), used for a wire gate would fit (in lifelines or up steps etc), but really anything where it would serve a useful purpose - except anything under stress (i.e. wouldn't want in the rigging as a part of holding the mast up! - albeit I have seen boats with worse ) - but I wouldn't rule out being used on the end of a harness tether either! (not everything in the good old days was exactly prudent ). Odds on it has been used for a number of purposes over the years.

Date wise, my guess would be 50's or 60's. but could be a decade or 2 earlier.

The last time I saw something like that was on a dog lead.

My money is still on Blackbeard's pirate ship

[Astrid]

The anchor symbol was very commonly used, and still is, as sign of quality, by a wide variety of manufacturers.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Original Poster

Hello,
I picked the attached brass spring clip up at an antiques shop a couple of years ago for a few bucks and would just like to know its intended purpose and approximate age, please.
There's a small anchor embossed that might represent a brand?

Thanks!

considering how many ex-navy type's there are on the forum,i'm surprised no one spotted it for what it really is.........

its a "SKYHOOK" used for training engineering cadets on how to lift things when no purchase points available ,see left handed screwdriver,elbow grease,and the universal tool the"roundtooit"

[delmarrey]

I have one just like it on my old navy issue US flag. They came on all the navy flags. They were so common in the Navy that we use to carry our keys on them, with a grenade ring.

[SkiprJohn]

They weren't made for heavy use. You can tell by the split at the swivel that it wouldn't take much pressure to make it fail.
Good for keys. Every bosun, signalman and quartermaster had one for his keys or coffee cup.
kind regards,