Hen killers were sold in the general stores. They were used for killing hens. You would put the top of the killers on the hen's head and the bottom in its mouth, then press down. Hen killers were made of two parts joined with a pivot point. The handles curve upward, and a small knob on one part extends up and forms a flat surface. This is where the chicken's head rests, The other part also has a bit of a knob where the two parts join. The hen killer has a sharp convex curve with a sharp blade on the end. You can tell this instrument is handmade because of the way the steel blade is set into the brass. It was used in the late 1800's and early 1900's.