It's a motor stator, minus the copper windings (from an old washing machine).
I've included major parts of electric motors in each model I've made so far.
More pics are in my albums, see my welding link below
I think they were from "it's a gift", predating the pound shops... but around the same price.
I did got some years of easy-life use out of them, but the jaws still bent too easily (a bit like jap-bike screw-heads) and finally I got fed up of re-straightening them.
One of the handles looked like plywood rather than solid, and was de-laminating as I worked it...