Ever stumbled across a weird-looking tool at a garage sale or in your grandfather’s shed and thought, “What on earth was this used for?” Some of these mystery items feel like they’ve been plucked straight out of a black-and-white movie—wooden handles, curved iron, strange shapes with no obvious modern purpose. But trust me, they’re more than antiques. They’re time machines to a world where every item had purpose, and every trade had pride.

Take the two odd tools in question here. They didn’t come from a toy chest or an art project—they came from the workshop of an old-school shoemaker.

The First Mystery Tool: A Shoemaker’s Peg Hammer

Let’s start with the flat, paddle-like tool with strange holes in its face. It’s not for grilling or slapping dough. That’s a shoemaker’s peg hammer, also known as a clinching hammer. This was one of the most trusted tools in the cobbler’s collection back in the 1800s and early 1900s.

So what did it do? It helped shoemakers attach the leather upper to the sole using tiny wooden pegs or slender nails. And those little holes in the face? They weren’t decorative. They were there to help grip those pegs and press them securely into thick leather without slipping. Imagine trying to hold several layers of tough material together and make it stick—this tool made it possible, one clean tap at a time.

Video: Making Derby Shoes in Vintage Embossed Leather

The Second Tool: The Shoemaker’s Puller

Now let’s talk about the second item—the one that looks like it belongs on a pirate’s arm. That’s the shoemaker’s puller, and it played a different but equally important role.

Its job was to grip, twist, and remove nails from soles. Whether a pair of boots came in for repair or something went slightly off during assembly, this puller was the tool cobblers used to fix mistakes without tearing the shoe apart. The curve in the tool gave it extra leverage, allowing for smooth, controlled movement in tight spaces.

It was part pry bar, part pliers, and all about saving the day when something didn’t fit right.

Shoemaking Before Factories Took Over

Back in the day, shoes weren’t pumped out of machines on conveyor belts. They were hand-built by local craftsmen who measured your feet, cut leather to size, and stitched or pegged each piece into place. There were no shortcuts. No online sizing guides. Just skill, patience, and a good set of tools.

Shoemakers worked from benches surrounded by tools like the peg hammer and puller, shaping shoes one at a time. Some shoes took hours. Others took days. But each one was made to last—and tools like these were the reason why.

Why These Tools Were Indispensable

In a world without fast fashion, a single pair of shoes could last years. People didn’t toss their footwear when it got scuffed or cracked—they brought it to the cobbler to be fixed. That meant cobblers needed tools that were tough, precise, and designed to do the job right.

The peg hammer let them drive pegs in neatly and securely. The puller helped them make delicate repairs without damaging the rest of the shoe. Together, they made shoemaking more than just a trade—they made it a respected art form.

The Disappearing Art of Shoemaking

Video: Cobblers Anvil Tool Restoration

Fast-forward to today, and most people don’t even think about how their shoes are made. Mass production has replaced handcrafted skill. Machines build shoes by the thousands, often using synthetic materials, and most of us never meet the people who make them.

If a shoe breaks, we toss it and buy a new pair. But back then? Every tool strike mattered. Every repair extended a shoe’s life. These tools were the heartbeat of an industry built on quality over quantity.

Why These Tools Still Matter Today

Even though they’re not in regular use anymore, peg hammers and pullers haven’t completely vanished. Vintage tool collectors, leathercraft hobbyists, and artisan shoemakers still hunt for them at auctions and flea markets.

Some folks even bring them back to life—sanding the handles, cleaning off rust, and putting them back to work. Why? Because tools like these still do their job better than most modern equivalents. They’re precise. They’re durable. And they’re loaded with history.

Conclusion

So, what were those two odd tools with wooden handles and curved metal arms really for? They weren’t toys or decorations. They were the lifeblood of a working shoemaker’s trade. The peg hammer helped build the shoe. The puller helped fix it. And together, they made footwear that stood the test of time.

In a world obsessed with speed and convenience, these tools remind us of something we’ve lost—patience, pride, and purpose. They were used by people who believed in doing things right, not just doing them fast. And maybe, just maybe, that’s something we could all use a little more of today.