Hello All,
What the heck is it?
I was given a tiny aluminium "baseball bat" by a friend about 15 years ago who was clearing out some of his magic stuff. He had no idea what it was, but told me it was old. Being the packrat I am and not able to resist a good deal (it was free!), I took it and put it away in a drawer. Unfortunately there were no instructions. A few months ago I found it again and gave it a good clean up. The bat itself is about 2 3/4 inches long and has a very small pin-hole drilled in one of the engraved bands near the middle. The whole thing twists apart at one of the smaller engraved bands near the business end of the bat, revealing a cavity (the centre is drilled out) inside the bat where a small brass tube is attached to the end piece - the pin hole goes through the side into that cavity. I will post a second picture of it in the open position so the tube is evident with a little more of an explanation.

Click here to view attached image.

O.K. - I took this along with me to the final Kramien's Magic Jamboree in Oregon at the beginning of June and asked a few people there if they had seen anything like it. The likes of Mike Caveney, Buma, Master Payne, and even Pete Biro couldn't figure it out either. I suggested that it might be a form of mini "Hot ball" and most agreed with me, but Master Payne thought it might be some kind of manipulation device. I have since re-thought it all and suspect it might even be like one of those baking powder submarines that used to be given away in cereal boxes many years ago - but if it is I'm not setting it up right because it didn't move in the bottom of a water-filled water once I put a pinch of baking powder in the tube and screwed it together.
All I know is that it had taken someone with a lot of skill in metal spinning and some time to create this little "bat" that comes apart. It has to have some magical or scientific use - anyone know or have any other ideas?

Thanks in advance! Bruce

Click here to view attached image.

It looks illegal. I would hide it.

I wonder if it is like a tipping timber trick. The movement of the water (if it stays inside) will tip the unit.

Going with the baking soda idea, what about a balloon inflation device for balloons out of a hat?

Richard

Hi Richard & Wizard,
Thanks for your thoughts. Good ideas, but it's just too small to be an inflation device as the whole thing is less than 3 inches long and the tube inside is only about one inch long with the diameter about the same size of a Bic pen refill (it might even be a small piece of an old brass refill). The bottom is slightly rounded, so it can't stand up either! Some manufacturer spent way too much time on a metal lathe for this to do nothing - it has to do something - but what? As for you Wizard of Oz - I don't see any connection on it for a pipe bowl, so I think I'm safe! Keep the ideas coming!

Bruce

P&L & Brema are the only ones I can think of if it is magical. I'll look in my P&L book. (part of a reel?) I would try putting it on the Old Magic Prop web site. They have a "what is it?" section that gets a lot of attention.
http://www.oldmagicprops.com/

I remember something like this when I was a pipe smoker way back when, but I cannot place it. Maybe a pipe collectors forum?

I think it is the ferrule part off a vanishing cane. I have seen cane tips that looked like this.

Richard

You've got several "Head Shops" there in B.C., I'd take it to one of those and inquire.

FWIW

(Does look like it might be used for some "recreational" use.)

Seriously though, do a Google image search for "hookah." It looks like it could be the business end of a hose.

way too small. the ones from the middle east were ivory or bone, later plastic.

I thought it might be used to ingnite flash paper as it thumb palms easily and is the same size as a half burned down cigarette. I don't know if it would get hot enough to do the job but that is all I could come up with for it.