ClipArt ETC
"A conical pin of hard wood, from 12 to 24 inches long, and from 1 to 3 inches in diameter at the butt, used to open the strands of rope in splicing." -Whitney, 1911

Setting Fid

"A conical pin of hard wood, from 12 to 24 inches long, and from 1 to 3 inches in diameter at the butt,…