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Guess What? February 2003

Guess What Article for February 2003 The Journal of Antiques & Collectibles
By Bob Cahn, “The Primitive Man”

A universal premise that we subscribe to: if one is good, two is better – and three has got to be best. This month’s Guess What is all set to perpetuate this theory. Shouldn’t be much of a stretch, since we’re always making promises, promises, promises.

We’ve got a triple-header with a spinal defect controlled by a wing nut, allowing it to be folded for more compactness in storing. The three elongated cotton duster plumes are woven like strands of a wig through a flexible, twisted-wire tentacle frame. This lends a certain flexible firmness to the skeletal forms (size of the plumes: approximately 10 1/2 inches).

This was designed to perform a specific function, and if you’ll allow us to jump-start the guessing process, here are some suggestions:

  1. West Point marching Shako headdress decoration plume;
  2. Country store between-the-cans shelf duster;
  3. Fuller brush man door-to-door pre-mium give-away;
  4. Bartenders’ triple-header beer glass washer;
  5. Between-the-ribs radiator section duster;
  6. Early 10-candle mold tube cleaner;
  7. Cast-iron corn muffin pan residue de-crumber;
  8. Washboard groove and ridge suds and lint remover;
  9. Venetian blind triple-slat duster;
  10. Xylo-phone surface cleaner and tone protector.

We’ve played the hidden-answer trick (buried among the above.) Revelation in next month’s Journal of Antiques & Collectibles. Till then!*

* Thanks to Carl and Noreen Thoresen, Enfield, Conn.

Answer to January 2003 ‘Guess What?’

In last month’s intro, we referred to the sexist reference reflected in the name of our subject: specifically, the product name – “Amazon” Meat Mangle. As a three-part multi-combo tool, we stipulated to the chopping blade as a mini-chopper and ice chipper, and the blunt end as a tack hammer. We’re now confirming the third function: meat tenderizer as delineated by the 49 knife-edged puncturing spikes. Manufactured by A. Kipp, Jr. & Co., Ossining, N.Y. First time have we ever been aware of “Jr.” in a company name for an early 1900s piece.*

* available for acquisition

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