Friend asked me. Found it in a barn.

Back in the day we would called that a kintch binder. LoL often found in same tool box as pig castrators.

Mac

"Never Forget Which Way Is Up!"

It looks like it would be useful for hoisting hay or straw bales into a loft. If you put a rope through the holes, when pulled up , it would lock the curved end and flat end together. You could put the hook through the strings on a bale. The far end of the rope could go to a pulley. As long as you kept weight on it, the clamp would stay closed letting you haul a bale up into the loft.

It would work for everything heavy with straps or rope on it. You could use it to move logs that way.

Keith

Thank you Keith, I was hoping you'd chime in. I asked a few other farmers and nobody had seen one. Most of the old timers have passed and now me and my buddies are considered the old ones lol.
I even tried to be high tech and use the "lens" app but came up with nothing.

You're welcome. That's just my guess though. I've never seen one of those before. How big is it?

Keith

I just hope the wife doesn't get her hands on anything like that

This might be part of a pair of kicking straps. stops a cow from kicking . while hand milking. Ours were a bit different. old 243

Designed to work on the same principal as a set of nosers for.cattle. No idea on this tool. Thinking.
Smooth like to.be used internally. Calf puller? Horses mouth?

Yep, Pig Castrater

Approximately 12 inches

Thanks. I think I am likely right on it's use then.

Keith

If one runs a rope thru the loops, puts a stopper knot on it and pulls the tail end, the loops would shut.........forcing those other ends to clamp down on something. Considering NY location........possible calf puller?

Looks like kick stopper to me as well. most not as smooth though.

Its for sure not a calf puller. Not a hobble either, it would just fall down to the ground.

Could be for putting corn shocks in the loft.

I think Kieth is on right track. Early version of a cam lock used on old hemp rope.

Mac

"Never Forget Which Way Is Up!"

I googled dairy cattle milk, cow kick stopper, and saw something that looks like a modern day version of that.
Other than that, don’t have a clue.

Don’t look like any hobble that I’ve ever seen. They were two u-shaped pieces on a chain, and had a way to tighten, by shortening the chain. Watched dad hobble cows many times when I was a pup!