Yet another "What is it?"

The owner of an unusual antique tool sent me this link where she has posted
numerous photos:

I've never seen anything like it before, maybe someone here will recognize
it. I might post it on my site next week depending on if I find an answer or
not.

Also, number 831 on my site is still unidentified:

Lee...

Rob..... I think the tool is a nut cracker for walnuts . You place the

dthompson4389...

Well, that's a clue. Sure enough, 2-19-1876 is a Saturday so it is not a day
a US patent would be issued. And it is marked "Feb", not just "2", so it isn't
a simple case of a mistaken number. But, what other country would issue weekend
patents?

However, I note that Feb 1878 falls on a Tuesday, could the year be 1878
instead of 1876?

I guess it could be the patent application date.

nut in the well with the metal point on the seam of the nut, hold that
end in your hand and whack it on the end of the handle. We used to have
something similar on the farm, but it also had a wooden flat knob on the
end (where the spring is) to whack it with. The blades helped remove
the shell/nutmeat.
The one we had didn't have any finish and was very rudimentary compared
to this.
Lee

R.H....

Thanks, I think that there is a good chance that you are correct, but I
don't see how the blades help with removing the meat.

R.H....

Anytime that I have a question regarding a possible nutcracker, I ask the
people at the Nutcracker Museum, here is the response that I got from them:

"I have sent this on to my friend in England who is an expert on treen. I
am sure it is not a nutcracker, but looks like some kind of peeler."

Kris Baker...

It's not a melon baller, for various reasons.

i'm not at all handy, but I believe it has something to do with
yarn.

#831 looks like a horse thing ;)