Can you identify this?

[Colo]

I am not sure this is a new game for us or not because I am clueless what the right answer is...

A friend bought this item at an auction this weekend for $1 USD.
It is stamped Italy.

He has no idea what it is and neither do I.

Can anyone identify this item and what it is used for?

 

[Eleanor]

The pronged fork at the end made me think of a tool for pulling up dandelions, but the spikes look as if they are supposed to secure something in the ground and stop it moving. I'm not sure how that would work.... Do you slide the fork under the dandelion, then secure with the spikes and then press down on the lever????

 

[Colo]

The lever does not move. It is a solid piece.

I was thinking it was some kind of meat handling tool. Like when you are dealing with a 1/2 cow or a pig.
Not real sure why I think that, but still clueless
Google has not identified it yet. Definitely a specialty tool

 

[Ian Sutton]

My first instinct was something ice-related, but I just can't see how that might be used and why it would need such a heavy steel 'handle'

 

[Colo]

I could go with ice also, but the curve on spikes does not make sense.
Blocks of ice are square...
And I am not that old to have an icebox

 

[Ian Sutton]

Alternatively, could it have been attached to something wooden (perhaps by the spikes)?

 

[PatrickLondon]

I too was thinking it might be something a porter in a meat market, or a docker in the days before containerisation, might use to lift and move sides of beef and the like, but it could just as well be used on bales or sacks of anything reasonably compacted. It could be a rather more sophisticated version of the hook dock workers used to use for grabbing sacks and bales (hence the expression "Sling your hook").

 

[Colo]

I looked for about 30 minutes on the web last night - and still with no luck. You would think something this unique looking could be found on a antique tool web page.

Patrick you may be on to something.

 

[PatrickLondon]

Another wild thought that occurred to me: could someone need to stud so many pieces of meat that a tool like that would be useful? Or would a gardener need to aerate and weed by hand in small spaces around a lot of established plants?

 

[joe]

I'm clueless too.
Some things that may be significant :
1) the spike on the right seems to be longer than the others. Might mean that the others came more into contact with whatever material they came in contact with. And it might be a tough material to wear down metal. Or that the spikes just have to hang onto a type of material that could easily be perforated (leather? webbing?), the long spike optional for another purpose. But then how did they wear down so much?
2) an open-ended handle might suggest that using the front fork was the more important part of the tool, or that the wrist had to be a bit free to do this (reach difficult places, or have the hand in a difficult position). Think of a plastering trowel

We should send this to every Italian artisan we know! It's certainly curious...

 

[Tim W]

I have no idea - but am intrigued, so I've posted the image on Reddit on the "Whatisthisthing" subreddit.
When I get an answer, I'll post it here.

 

[Tim W]

It's a meat fork for carving.

 

[Eleanor]

Now that looks a really clever piece of equipment - and much more sensible than the usual carving fork...

 

[Colo]

Ding Ding Ding
We have a winner
Thanks for your help Tim W!

 

[joe]

Us vegetarians have lost interest.....

 

[Colo]

I think it would work on a melon or maybe a cabbage....

 

[PatrickLondon]

Or a mango.

 

[Eleanor]

I think a mango might be a bit too small?