It’s actually from the stone age before we had grinders. Each bean had to be individually crushed.

Ha! Love Tom’s suggestion of individual bean squashing vice! To me it looks more like it would be used for extracting confessions than coffee, an Acme Precision Truthmaster Pursuivant ™ thumb screw.

LOL @Hotmetal so if it’s about extracting confessions as opposed to extracting coffee, them maybe it’s more of a nut cracker than a bean crusher?

Is it for breaking open coconuts or some other hard nut/fruit?

Or what about pushing out a bearing?

    The fine thread on the plunger suggests something precision or in need of delicacy.

    The knurled knob is eccentric to the through bolt. The bright part looks like it has a sharpened face. It looks almost like some kind of lathe tool holder - albeit quite an agricultural one.

      Gagaryn You are very close with your description👍. I will not give it away yet.

        Close but no cigar. Hmm, some kind of architrave scriber or chamfering thingamajig? Definitely something for cutting or carving.

        Cutting yes but otherwise you are cooling rapidly

        Is it anything to do with leather working?