The Aficot is a very popular and hard-to-come by embroidery tool that descends from the lobster claw. It is contoured to the hand, to provide a controlled finish to embroidery by burnishing the threads as well as surrounding areas to create a dimensional effect. It is also used in lace making, particularly in Alençon lace. The lobster claw was used in two ways: 1. to polish raised threads, and 2. to smooth down areas of tape or fabric between lines of stitching, to make the stitching stand out better.
The Aficot Embroiderer’s Tool is 5 1/2” long. It is now only available in Ebony.
Mary Corbet has a wonderful review of this tool. https://www.needlenthread.com/2015/03/whats-an-aficot-embroidery-tool.html