It's a stand for a soldering iron or a pyrography pen (which is almost the same thing), almost invariably sold bundled with them.

You bend the 'Y' up to make the cradle for the tool – usually the barrel of the soldering iron.

Doesn't look like your dad ever used it – he might've had some other rest, or not used the iron much.

Yes, as Mick says, it's a soldering iron stand that typically comes with low cost irons. It's not fit for purpose in my experience.

Hi, I knew I had one somewhere, and came across it while looking for something else, and it is for holding a Pyro craft tool. There is a picture of it on the box in its almost flat state, and I had to bend this one up, when I was perusing the tool and reading the instructions, as you do.

I haven't even used this yet, I think I bought it from Maplin electronics when they were selling everything at a big discount price in the last days before the local store closed. It was cheap enough for a maybe have a go with it, but haven't got around to it yet.

Regards Nick.

Hi Bill, yes I understand they could also be used for soldering irons, I was just saying the one I have was for my Pyro kit, and it came flat like the one in the photo that Hacksaw posted.

Regards Nick.