after doing a bit of enhancing myself, i'm beginning to revise my original feelings, while i've seen narrow diameter wood fids which were not very tapered (see earlier examples) most have been steel, and the ones with fancy knot work have been similar to the steel examples given. most ships i've sailed on had steel wire rope rigging (and appropriate steel marlinspikes/fids), but miles of nice whitewashed fancy work on the handrails, especially on the quarterdeck. gives the deckies something to do out at sea. they'd generally use the smaller metal ones, tho the boatswain's locker would generally have an assortment.
as the material of tim's is only noted as being 'heavy' can we assume it is in reference to a dense wood of the order of lignum vitae rather than being of steel? even the enhanced photo shows no grain or woodiness which can be seen in even the smaller examples, but lignum vitae can also look like that. as an engineer officer i've seen a lot of lignum vitae, it was used for bearing surfaces in stern tubes which allowed the propeller shaft to penetrate the ship's side without flooding the ship as it was diminsionally stable even after soaking in sea water and very strong. a slight trickle of water was allowed to cool and lube the shaft which was collected in the bilge and pumped out. cleaning the sumps back there at the end of shaft alley was always a fun job assigned to someone on punishment. anyway, after years and decades of soaking in salt water, it was very dark, dense and hard as any wood i've ever seen, almost like micarta. i wish i'd had a few strips of it for knife handles.
anyway, the enhanced view of the handle binding, if accurate, is not of the same order of skill as would be required by any bo'sun i've ever known. while i'd expect a wooden fid's working end to be a bit rougher, working on small stuff on a ship would normaly be done with a smaller spike than 59cm.
finally, i am now thinking war/hunting club with nice pointy end, or as memaw would say ''y'all could poke summons eye out wif that thang''.
