I was sorting through a large box of kitchen tools left by an acquaintance who has left for travels afar. All was going well; Knives, a steel, tongs, an egg slice, a contraption for pitting olives...

Then I came across this... I have no idea what it is, and it's driving me slowly insane!

Can anyone help? Does anyone else have any perplexing kitchen relics?

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j28/tobinjones/WhatAmI.jpg

I believe that is a wooden hand-operated wine corker used to insert corks into bottles for home winemaking. A cork is placed on the lip of the bottle, and the corker is placed on top and used to force the cork into the bottle.

I would never have guessed. I've even found the corks to go with it now. Maybe I should try testing my mettle as a vintner...

Great kitchen-gadget knowledge. Thanks!