What is this?

[yorgle]

I found this in a box of misc tubes that I purchased from a local antiques store.  It's solid aluminum and has "sockets" to fit both 7 and 9 pin miniature tubes.  Being solid, its obviously not intended to be used in a circuit.  It has "La Point Industries, Inc. Rockville, Conn." stamped on the flange.  Something to straighten tube pins?  A place to store extra tubes inside a radio/amp?  Any old timers here recognize it?

[PRR]

> Something to straighten tube pins?

Yes.

https://www.riverstoneaudio.com/pin-straightener
https://www.amazon.com/Riverstone-Audio-Straightener-Stainless-Straightens/dp/B074DZLFCK

[DummyLoad]

> Something to straighten tube pins?

Yes.

https://www.riverstoneaudio.com/pin-straightener
https://www.amazon.com/Riverstone-Audio-Straightener-Stainless-Straightens/dp/B074DZLFCK

thanks for sharing that amazon link - one on the way!    

--pete

[PRR]

From reviews:
"the last pin straightener you'll ever need."

I have never seen one of these worn-out. Even the cheap zinc ones. yorgle's tool screws to the bench so you never lose it.

Obviously the vast majority of these were thrown-out when the daughters cleared-out dad's shop and nobody knew what it was.

[HotBluePlates]

The pin straightener below was left behind in a tube caddy I got.  The 9-pin side is shown below and there's a 7-pin socket on the opposite side.

The bell-shape is a suction cup to pull tubes from their sockets without burning your mitts.  Squeezing near the top releases the tube.