What is this tool?

[doonjumper]

It was in the shop when I bought the house. It's some kind of wire or small rope puller I think. Maybe cable. It opens up about a 1/4" and is grooved on one side and flat on the opposite, then clamps when pulled, making it clamp down on something.

 

[NorCal69]

It's for pulling electrical lines. Back when I was a lineman we used those a lot to pull out the lines. Tie a rope to one end and clamp onto the line with the other, then start pullin'.

 

[livid4dirt]

That is called a Glommer, use them all the time along with a come-a-long to tighten perimeter safety cable on high-rise buildings.

 

[sponsoredbydad]

I use one all the time to pull new water services thru the old existing ones, saves us from digging up the street. It attaches to something that looks like Chinese fingers and a cable