This quite handy device is for copying irregular shapes in buildings such as fitting flooring around pipes or odd corners. It's made up of many thin steel pins that move individually. This was in my dad's double decker red tool box that we brought back from Eastern Washington. My dad built rustic side tables from wood felled on his property. I've never used it for it's intended purpose, but it's fun to play with.
Finally, a tool I actually have used. It's a Speedball brayer for rolling ink over plates, metal, wood, or linoleum,, prior to printing them. I don't love it, but it gets the job done. This is the size that works for a small home studio. I still miss the big, big rolling brayers we used in art school for lithography.