You know you are in America's heartland when the hardware stores carry unique items like this $65.99 nutcracker.
It is no ordinary nutcracker, nor is it decorative like those made in Germany by Stienbach.
The jaws are concave to keep the nuts in line with those high compressive forces. Note the smaller set of jaws on the wooden base. I would assume these are for pecans.
Since I saw this nutcracker in the Shenandoah Valley, I would assume that it would be used on black walnuts and hickory nuts gathered locally. They are quite hard to crack and could benefit from great nutcracking power.
I would like to see how this nutcracker works on macadamia nuts, as when Elizabeth, my father-in-law, Wade, and I toured the Moana Loa macadamia nut farm on the big island of Hawaii, we learned that the macadamia nut is the hardest nut to crack.
On the shelf next to the nutcracker, was another unique item. As I did not grow up learning animal husbandry, I had to search the internet as to how this next item is used.
You guessed it, it is a hog scraper....
Wikipedia did not have an article on hog scrapers but did on hog scraper candlesticks that refers to its "resemblance to an antique device," the hog scraper.
By the way, what is a hog scraper used for? I didn't want to show my ignorance to the helpful hardware folks, so I took a photo and moved down to the pellet grills as I think I know how to use one of them.
Is it used for scraping a hog's hooves? Maybe it's used to clean a hog's tusks. Or maybe in preparing hog chow. Just by looking at it I could not figure it out.
After watching a YouTube video on the proper use of a hog scraper, I now know how they are used and that I currently do not have a use for one. When we are visiting one of you, and we need to use one, I'd be more than willing to lend a hand but I'll bet that Elizabeth will pass.
So if you have some hard nuts to crack or a hog that needs a good scraping, Rocking R Hardware in Harrisburg VA has got your needs covered.
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