Inherited a box of utensils and this scary-looking clamp was inside. It opens like scissors but has spiked plates on the ends. Looks medical?

 

Inherited a Box of Utensils — and Found This Scary-Looking Clamp Inside. What Is It?

When sorting through a box of old kitchen utensils, I expected to find the usual — serving spoons, ladles, maybe a vintage whisk or two. What I didn’t expect was a strange, intimidating clamp that looked more like a medical instrument than something meant for cooking.

It opens like a pair of scissors, but instead of blades, it has two round, spiked metal plates at the ends. At first glance, it’s easy to assume it belongs in a surgical tray rather than a kitchen drawer.

So what is it?

It’s Likely a Vintage Ice Crusher or Ice Tongs

Despite its somewhat alarming appearance, this tool is typically a vintage ice crusher or ice chipper clamp — sometimes also described as antique ice tongs used for breaking or gripping blocks of ice.

Before modern refrigerators with automatic ice dispensers, households often bought large blocks of ice for iceboxes. Tools like this were used to grip, crack, or break chunks of ice into smaller pieces for drinks.

The spiked plates aren’t for medical use — they’re designed to grip slippery ice securely. When you squeeze the handles, the spikes press into the ice block, allowing you to lift or crush it safely.