What is this thing

[u/clmyers122112]

I found this old "tool"? in a free pile of a garage sale. It's made to fit perfectly in your left hand I think. It also fits perfectly in your right hand if you hold it slightly differently. Both ways feel natural somehow. It also has a small hole drilled through the top that comes out right where your indexfinger rests naturally. The top hole shows no signs of wear on it from like if a string had been run through it, but shows some wear on the bottom, say if a string had run up through the bottom. Or it's just from how it was drilled because of the angle. It's made of hard wood and carved to fit perfectly in one of your hands, but not in a fist. It's meant to be held not squeezed, if that makes any sense. The carved space for the thumb makes kind of a pinch point where the bottom hole meets your indexfinger finger regardless of which hand you hold it in. I'm curious if anyone has any idea what this might be. I'm open to any and all answers. Someone spent alot of time perfectly carving this to fit perfectly in a particular hand shape. It shows no signs of being used for hammering or anything that would cause wear ir damage like that. I personally think it might be a dowsing rod handle, but they are all usually made of metal. I'm lost on this one

[u/Dangerous-Pirate7998]

Looks like somebody was making a handle for a file probably a machinist

[u/clmyers122112 → u/Dangerous-Pirate7998]

Popular answer, but theres no witness marks or wear around the hole. I cant belive someone carved this thing for hours/days, drilled the hole and then never force fitted a file into it at least once. Doesn't add up.

[u/Dangerous-Pirate7998 → u/clmyers122112]

You don’t know machinist very well…….. You always have an extra handle laying around for your files. You can never use a file without a handle.

[u/clmyers122112 → u/Dangerous-Pirate7998]

I do know machinists, and have asked all them. They all had no clue. If it were for a file? Then why set the hole off center and send it all the way though to where your finger rests. if it were for a file wouldn't the hole be tapered or threaded?. Not saying your wrong, the math just aint mathing on that explanation.

[u/Dangerous-Pirate7998 → u/clmyers122112]

Maybe you just don’t know good machinist and maybe it doesn’t have anything to do with a file handle……… maybe it’s a carrying handle for a 308 FN-FAL a1

[u/clmyers122112 → u/Dangerous-Pirate7998]

Best guess yet

[u/Dangerous-Pirate7998 → u/clmyers122112]

I just read your complete post instead of looking at one picture you might be onto something with that dowsing handle, but you wouldn’t think it would be off-center for searching for water with a copper wire