In article ,
R.H. wrote:

"s2s" wrote in message
roups.com...
Here I go.

237 looks exactly like the tool we used way back there when I was a
typewriter repair guy. It was for machines with the keys that flew up
and hit a ribbon which transferred to the paper. You know, the kind
that jammed all the time and got the letters messed up from hitting
each other? It's a peener or a crimper depending on who you ask. It's
for adjusting the typefaces so they line up again after hard use. Pinch
the type bar in one place and the typeface moves up, pinch it someplace
else and it moves down. It was an art I didn't really get the hang of
till electronics took over. Probably used for other applications too.
The heads are adjustable and replaceable so you and peen different
thicknesses of metal in different configurations. Eventually the
letters just won't line up and you had to replace or resolder the
typeface.

[ ... ]

I did a search on "peener" and couldn't find anything. My final answer on
this one is going to be "Starrett adjustable jaw cut nipper that has been
modified into a crimper", unless I hear some evidence that indicates
otherwise.

I know of the practice, though I have never seen the tools
designed for the task -- but this sounds like an excellent explanation
of what you have. There were not enough of them made to justify making
them from scratch, and the compound leverage of the Starrett cut nipper,
plus the ratchet jaw mounting would work very well for the task.

Like many specialized toolkits, different people have different
names for the same tool, so this may be a term for it which is not
widely distributed.

One thing which would confirm this would be if the jaws are more
domed in both dimensions. They are obviously so in one dimension, but I
don't think that the other shot (which shows from the proper direction,
but shows the whole tool) has enough detail available.

If nothing else, it at least could be a cut nipper modified by
an individual to serve that function.

Enjoy,
DoN.

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