Calling knowledgeable people - probably older in years

@JudyEv I wondered about that, too. It looks as though it's the spring that does the stretching, doesn't it. Also, I think that the ends seem to be thinner than the rest of the shaft, almost as if they are meant to be used for stretching something like a rubber band rather than gloves. Makes me wonder whether they are, perhaps, a tool for helping one put on/take off a rubber ring to tie the ends of braids/plaits or something like that. There also appear to be two pivots or pins going through at the joint. That is also slightly puzzling to me!

@JudyEv Hmm. Looks like the page I linked to is down...

Probably the right sort of plastic for generating a good static charge, by the looks of it .

Me too..LOL

That is your lesson for the day.

@vandana7 Your lesson vanny.

@JudyEv Cool!

owl and pgn and fourwalls have the answer.

Yes, they're old-fashioned glove stretchers.

@JudyEv

@JudyEv Handed down? You mean her parents were modern of those times?

I doubt my mother had any kid gloves. I think these would have been handed down perhaps.

@JudyEv Surely those made in wood were built in a way to apply more force.

Maybe the spring has weakened as it doesn't seem strong enough to stretch anything.

@LadyDuck They certainly look stronger. This one opens only 6mm which doesn't seem enough to stretch anything. Maybe the spring is weak but it still can't open wider than 6mm.

@JudyEv I guess. There are lots of varieties of gloves nowadays

I don't think there is need for them now.

@JudyEv Interesting, so two fingers at a time.

@just4him I guess you stretch out each finger then put them on.

@just4him @hostessman The general consensus is that they were used for stretching kid gloves.

I think they are for stretching the fingers of kid gloves after they've been watched - whoops - make that 'washed'. Well before your time, and slightly before mine, women regularly wore gloves made of goatskin and the gloves would shrink a little when washed.

@JudyEv - Huh. Makes perfect sense now.

Most who have seen something similar agree that it is probably for stretching kid gloves.

@JudyEv ok

We have some very clever people on myLot.

@FayeHazel Make glove not war

It seems most likely that it is a glove stretcher.

@JudyEv Ah from the days when people wore gloves more

I knew someone on here would know. Between us, we're a very knowledgeable lot!

@JudyEv

Yes, there were a few people who knew what they were. It seems they were used for stretching kid gloves.

It seems most likely that it is a glove stretcher for kid gloves which were 'de rigeur' once upon a time.

There isn't much call for glove-stretchers nowadays I guess.

I knew someone would know.

While it seems to be for stretching gloves there is something not quite right with that decision. It is quite weak although that could be because the spring has weakened and it only opens 6mm which doesn't seem enough for stretching gloves.

It seems that they were meant for stretching kid gloves which sometimes got a bit tight.