Found in a barn cleanup, this type of heavy iron tool with a central hinge and jagged teeth along the inner curve is typically an old agricultural hand tool. At first glance, it can look unfamiliar or even mysterious, especially if it has been sitting unused for many years.
The operator would place a cob between the jaws, close the handle, and rotate or pull the cob so the teeth could remove the kernels in sections. This made it easier to prepare corn for storage, animal feed, or sale.