My local vintage store guy and I had no idea what this was. Toothpick dispenser? Mechanically, that made no sense. I had settled on it possibly being a cigarette roller before I started my research, and was delighted to find it’s for toothpaste! Old tubes were made of metal, and very hard to roll without losing a lot of product. Even today, with certain disabilities, something like this would come in very handy. This piece has a floral motif, and is in great condition. At the height of its use, it was known as the Indispensable Dispenser!