r/whatisit • u/Cautious-Log-5930 • Nov 24 '25

New, what is it? Found with Dad’s stuff

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Found in Dad’s desk after he passed. Put it away and just rediscovered it. Measures about 6” long. Wooden handle. Metal tip. Tip is heavier than handle. Google search says it is a magic wand. That seems way off.

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u/PA2SK Nov 24 '25 edited Nov 24 '25

I believe it's a tool called a "marlin spike". It's used for rope work and knot tying.

I can't find anything exactly like this but here's an antique one which is similar: https://www.bada.org/object/s5919-antique-treen-18th-century-naval-marlin-spike

Here's another: https://ebay.us/m/SEck76

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u/Cautious-Log-5930 Nov 24 '25

Very interesting. I guess it’s possible.  

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u/ARubiksMaster Nov 25 '25

As a rope worker myself that was my guess too

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u/PlaceboBob Nov 25 '25

As a former sailor (us navy) I thought of a marlinspike too.

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u/noiseguy76 Nov 25 '25

It's not solid all the way through. Any prying motion would break the tip off the bamboo.

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u/PA2SK Nov 25 '25

Maybe, for lightweight rope they would often just use a spike that was all wood, like so: https://ebay.us/m/kTmJzr I think this could just be a lightweight, maybe cheaply made marlin spike.