Antique Instrument
If movies and books are anything to go by, when someone digs through an old chest, they usually expect to find treasure. This OP found something rather strange-looking instead. It was about 7 inches big, made of brass and copper with movable pins, and had “72” stamped underneath. So, what was this metal broom-like thing?
According to the wise people of the internet, this is part of an antique sock knitting machine. We wouldn’t have guessed that in a million years! Did you know there’s actually a Circular Sock Knitting Machine Society? Bet you didn’t know that one either.