The equipment was made out of two long, dark pieces of locust wood that moved up and down a pair of wooden, hand-carved screws.

Seated in front of him, Pat and David Dawson of Frederick had brought the antique clamp to Schuettinger to learn its history and purpose at the Historical Society of Frederick County’s ‘‘Treasured Heirloom” event Saturday.

As Schuettinger examined the clamp, the dark burn marks on the wood betrayed its former use, he said — most likely it was a custom-built clamp for a tinsmith in the 1850s.

‘‘Whatever was in here was hot,” he said.

Schuettinger, a conservator and appraiser of antique furniture, was one of 15 local antique experts at the event, held at the Frederick Towne Mall.

The ‘‘Treasured Heirloom” event is an annual fund-raiser for the Historical Society and an opportunity for people to discover the value and history of their heirlooms and antiques.

For $5 per item, Frederick County antique experts specializing in jewelry, furniture, dolls, lamps, quilts, clocks and toys evaluated heirlooms’ worth and history.

According to Mark Hudson, executive director of the Historical Society of Frederick County, the event raised $8,800 with nearly 420 items evaluated. It was the most successful year yet, Hudson said, and all of the proceeds will support the Historical Society’s museum and library programs.

Since the fund-raiser began eight years ago, people have brought in a wide variety of items for experts to evaluate, Hudson said.

Although it is hard to anticipate what people will bring, he noted, fine art and jewelry have been the most popular items.

For the Dawsons, the ‘‘Treasured Heirloom” event shed some light on their 1850s wooden clamp. According to Schuettinger, the clamp was crafted to fit the original owner. Constructing custom-built tools in addition to their standard set was typical of tradesmen in these types of crafts, he told the Dawsons.

David Dawson found the work clamp at an auction in Woodsboro nearly 20 years ago, he said, and never used it since he couldn’t figure out its use.

‘‘I just thought it was interesting because I had never seen anything like it,” he said.

For many years it was the ‘‘tool with no name,” Pat Dawson said.

At a nearby table, Mary Byrne of Urbana knew the exact history of the family heirloom she brought to the event.

Those gathered around the table admired Byrne’s slightly tarnished, solid sterling silver repose pitcher that belonged to her great grandfather, Alex Grouchy Jr., a former mayor of Baton Rouge, La.

The 1911 sterling silver pitcher featured a raised flower motif that was intricately fashioned and hammered from the inside out. To Byrne’s surprise, experts estimated the silver pitcher to be worth more than $800, she said.

‘‘I would have never had a clue if I had never come here,” Byrne said.

According to Don Reedy, a lamp and lighting antique expert, similar repose pitchers of the early 20th century were made in Baltimore. With a little polish, Byrne’s silver pitcher would gleam, he said.