'What Is This Thing' is an incredibly popular subreddit. It has over 1.8 million members, all helping people to identify the objects in their possession they have no knowledge of themselves. I have no doubt that one of the biggest reasons why this online community has gotten so massive is the fact that they constantly deliver.
With a few very rare exceptions, 'What Is This Thing' cracks one tough case after another. Show them a small round "shelf" in an old mailbox, and they will tell you it's for leaving change for the postal worker to add postage. Post a photo of a strange ceramic jar and they'll reply it's a stoneware bed warmer.
Continue scrolling to check out some of the mysteries they have recently uncovered, and after you're done, fire up Bored Panda's earlier articles about the subreddit here, here, and here.
#1 Friend Found At A Goodwill. Tool Belt Of Some Kind. Anyone Know The Specific Use?
Answer: it's a fishing rod holder.
Image credits: ffatr2012
#2 Found Underground In Edmonton, Alberta. Made Of Metal Bits Encased In An Acrylic Like Substance. Smooth Flat Bottom.
Answer: that's orgonite, a pseudoscience energy thing. The basic structure is alternating layers of organic and inorganic materials within polyester resin. The inorganic is the metal and some crystals, but metal is very important as it is the metal which most strongly activates the cleansing matrix by both attracting and repelling energy. The organic materials simply attract the energy, so without the metals, you have an ineffective and inert piece of resin art.
Image credits: AlbertaGirl4ever
#3 Found This Tiny Book With No Cover And Has These Weird Text In It
Answer: Handbook of Royal Arch Masonry, Guide for Chapter Officers
Image credits: reddit.com
#4 What Is The Purpose Of The “Chip” In The One Prong Of This Fork? At First, I Though It Actually Was Just A Chip, But Turns Out Its On Multiple Forks In My Drawer. Any Ideas?
Answer: they make one tine wider for cutting stuff, but the wider one wouldn’t stab as well as the others, so the gave it a clipped point.
Image credits: aceastrojet
#5 House Built Circa 1950. Left Door Is A Linen Closet. Right Door Is... What? So Deep That It Takes Up Space In A Closet Around The Corner. Door For House Elf? Witt?
Answer: luggage hide-a-way. My house has one, that's what the realtor told us it was when we moved in. House built in US midwest in 1951.
Image credits: two_owwies
#6 These Weird Crystals Growing On My Highlighter?
Answer: it went through varying changes in temperature in the past years and destabilized causing oil to separate and crystallize. Same thing happens in crayons.
Image credits: okaythenksbye
#7 Jump Rope Spike? Two Spring Covered Spikes Connected With Paracord
Answer: They are rescue grips for things like ice fishing. Run the cord through your jacket sleeves and the spikesv are at hand if you fall through the ice.
Image credits: Wolfe_Cola
#8 Near Agate, Utah. My Dad And I Came Across This On Google Maps Today But No Search On Google Gave Me An Answer
Answer: These have to be evaporation ponds near some sort of mineral mine.
Image credits: aimeeeeeee12
#9 Small Round “Shelf” In Old Mail Box
Answer: for leaving change for postal worker to add postage. USPS delivery people are required to have stamps and you don't even need to catch them to buy some. If you have a piece of mail without postage you can put it in your mailbox with cash and the carrier will bring back change (if needed) the next day.
Image credits: theokcorral
#10 Key In The Ceiling At School
Answer: test duct detectors in a fire alarm system. Duct detectors will shut off the air conditioning unit if it senses smoke to prevent it from circulating the air.
Image credits: cman334
#11 My Girlfriend Lives In A Basement Apartment And In The Closet Under A False Floor There's This Pipe In The Ground. Smells Terrible Like Sewage. Any Idea What It Is And How To Fix It?
Answer: It appears to be an old broken drain, or more likely, a cleanout with a broken cover. That needs to be capped ASAP. Sewer gasses are a noxious health hazard. Note, tape and plastic are not an acceptable cap.
Image credits: Orphan-Slayer
#12 Strange Ceramic Jar, What Is This? Only Has Side Opening
Answer: it is a stoneware bed warmer. Put some hot water in and pop it under your sheets.
Image credits: AbsidalComb
#13 A Friend Of Mine Bought A Refrigerator And This Came On It. The Handbook Didn't Mention It. Is It An Egg Holder?
Answer: its to separate the vegetables in the draw
Image credits: reddit.com
#14 Glass Items Seen At Yard Sale. They Aren't Doorknobs And Some Look Like One Solid Piece?
Answer: Knife rests
Image credits: reddit.com
#15 Found At Antique Shop. Think It Might Be Some Sort Of Food Server. But Really No Idea What This Is!
Answer: bun warmer
Image credits: KatieLily_Simmer
#16 Hi! My Boyfriend And I Were Traveling Sunday Evening (10/25) And We Flew Over Clouds That Were Glowing Orange. Photo Details Suggest That It Was Somewhere Over Kingsville, On, Canada. Any Idea What Caused This?
Answer: Grow lights inside massive greenhouses just east of Kingsville.
Image credits: lolliven
#17 Found In A Cemetary While Geocaching. The Doll Was Wrapped In The Paper Which Was Wrapped In The Cloth Cross And Bound With Twine. Overall Very Creepy
Answer: it's a voodoo doll
Image credits: rtothewin
#18 On It's Own In A British Park, Tall As A Person And Hollow Inside. Made Of Metal And Looks Like Something Used To Be Below Each Of The Four "Exits"
Answer: Look up funnel ball. Popular in the 90s as a basketball game. Someone tosses into the top hole and the ball comes out one of the other holes. I never played with any real rules, just schoolyard fun. Prob could do it like 2 on 2 basketball where you aim to get more balls in the top hole than the other team, or something.
Image credits: reddit.com
#19 Found In An Unfinished Basement Of An Old Home. Looks Like A Coin But It's Hollow And Opens Up
Answer: a coin lighter but now its missing some parts
Image credits: NeverBenFamous
#20 What Is This Thing? I Found It In A Frozen Meal. It’s Sharp And Hard, Spiky, And Brown-Ish Coloured
Answer: Alamy Toothed medick
A prickly seed pod of a lawn weed.. Called burrs in Australia.
Your seed looks well soaked.
Image credits: reddit.com
#21 Found In A House I Moved Into. The Chain Has Two Corks Attached On Either End
Answer: It is for wine. Ice goes in the little side container to keep it cold.
Image credits: reddit.com
#22 Hole In The Bathroom Wall On The Door Side? Our Apartment Was Built In The 1930s
Answer: There was a wood stove or something there. It’s for a chimney.
Image credits: xandraw
#23 What Is This? White Particles On Back Of TV. Found No Where Else In Home, Not Even On Surrounding Furniture/Wall. Cleans Off But Reappears After A Few Weeks.
Answer: fire retardant reacting with the environment. This white powder is not harmful nor is it mold. We have had a few cases and have found it is the fire retardant interacting with the environment. In most instances all that is needed to correct this is a damp cloth, but in the case the white spots do come back we have a tech come out and replace the back cabinet.
Image credits: Boxerorbag
#24 Cups On Lanyard Found On Lake Mi Beach (Glasses For Scale - Didn't Have A Banana)
Answer: Kayak plugs. Keeps water from entering holes intentionally built within the boat
Image credits: reddit.com
#25 Why Does This Mailbox Of Letters Around It? Building Was Built In The Early 1900s
Answer: It used to be a combination lock. Now retrofitted with a key lock
Image credits: reddit.com
#26 Flat-Backed Plate That Resembles A Music Box Wheel. Number Search Turned Up Nothing. Found In Late Father In Law’s Toolbox.
Answer: Looks like an IBM punch card for use in Punched Card Typography in the 60s/70s— Its basically computer code.
Image credits: reddit.com
#27 Thing With Wheels I Found In The Woods
Answer: Its what's left of a Volkswagen beetle.
Image credits: pancawind
#28 Weird Metal Part That Comes In A Matchbox Every Once In A While
Answer: It’s an extension for lighting candles
Image credits: megaku
#29 What Is This On A Pillow At A Hotel Im Staying At?
Answer: With our patented Zip-N-Click™ closure system, CleanBrands provides added security by ensuring that dust mites and bed bugs cannot enter or escape the encasement at its most vulnerable point: the zipper. Independently tested and verified, the Zip-N-Click™ is designed with advanced durable materials and is fully machine washable.
Image credits: coolusername21s
#30 Found In A Bag Together While Digging A Pool In Massachusetts. Penny For Scale ( Sorry, Didn't Have Any Bananas )
Answer: Toy plates for a dollhouse.
Image credits: FFiresticks
#31 Wall Dongus In Our New Apartment. It Is Loose And Pulling It Out Of The Wall Shows That It's Attached To A Cable. The Little Rondell On The Front Is A Butto
Answer: An emergency alert button for an in-building nurse. The apartment building may have once been an assisted living facility.
Image credits: reddit.com
#32 Found Among My Dad's Things. Interesting Velvet Box With Black Object Inside
Answer: It's a pocket handwarmer...an old one too.
Image credits: reddit.com
#33 On The Second Stair Of A 100-Year-Old Bungalow. The Tube Opens To The Basement.
Answer: Wood-fired furnace heat shaft
Image credits: reddit.com
#34 What Is This Thing: Some Beach Sand In Ecuador Is Magnetic
Answer: Ironsand, also known as iron-sand or iron sand, is a type of sand with heavy concentrations of iron. It is typically dark grey or blackish in colour.
Image credits: reddit.com
#35 Purple Packets Found On Rural Property In Victoria, Australia
Answer: Dye powder packets tied to the under side of rams to mark which sheep have been inseminated.
Image credits: Bbqsaucebottle
#36 What Is This Brown Bumpy Thing On My Pringle??
Answer: The previous Pringle that didn't completely make it out of the rolling mold. Pringles aren't sliced potatoes, they are mashed potatoes pressed flat and cut like cookies. That's a stuck previous Pringle.
Image credits: reddit.com
#37 This Was Found With Old Tools. Doesn't Seem To Attach To Anything. It Can Lock In Place And The Middle Bit Turns Round, Unravelling Two Straps Of Fabric. I'm Stumped!
Answer: It’s for carrying books.
Image credits: shantayyoustayyy
#38 My Security Camera Caught This Individual With A Large Device, Possibly Scanning For Something? The Individual Noticed The Camera And Changed Their Mind It Seems, But What Have They Got And What Are They Doing?
Answer: this person is probably a carthieve scanning for keyless car keys. . never leave them near windows and doors
Image credits: reddit.com
#39 What Is This Keyhole In The Wall Next To An Outer Door?
Answer: It’s probably for the fire department. We have a key hole just like it next to our parking lot gate. This way they can open it in case of an emergency
Image credits: reddit.com
#40 1.5 Inches Long, Hard And Glossy. Found 5 Feet Below The Bottom Of A Virginia River
Answer: Fossil snail casting
Image credits: reddit.com
#41 I Found In The Garage, A Tube With Notches Made Of Brass, The Rest Of The Cover On Top. Copper Rod With Wooden Handle
Answer: Hair curler
Image credits: Bigovereasy
#42 Found While Turning Garden This Spring In The Appalachian Foothills Of East Tennessee. What Is This Thing?
Answer: a knapped flint knife. It's also very strong. Typically it's knapped but your blade looks like it was sharpened on a stone. It's probably a Boy Scout or survival class project.
Image credits: Creep41
#43 Found Slung Over My Son's Headstone.
Answer: It's a rifle sling. A sling is simply a strap that lets you carry a rifle around.
Image credits: lucina20
#44 "Assembly Tape" On My Pop-Tart This Morning. It's Also On The Inside Of The Wrapper.
Answer: splice from film change on flow wrapper during processing. When one roll of "wrapper" is exhausted the next roll is taped to the tag end to run it through the equipment. High visibility tape typically ensures it is removed downstream in the production process.
Image credits: _my_cell_account_
#45 Witt: Found This Crater/Hole While Randomly Scrolling Around Google Maps. Located In Mali, Africa. Any Ideas?
Answer: It's a geological high point in the desert, the middles raised not depressed so not a crater, it's a weathered mountain with the old center of the mountain still visible. To be fair it could even be an old magmachamber. Either way its not a crater.
Image credits: BlameSociety1
#46 Small Silver Fob- Nazi Or Navajo (Hx In Comments)
Answer: it is a "Whirling Log Fred Harvey Thunderbird" pendant (Navajo vintage jewellery) I suspect that's a couple hundred dollars at least.
Image credits: itsbahamadave
#47 What Is This Piece Of Playground Equipment For? Seems Like It Must Have A Function Other Than To Just Lay On It
Answer: Manufacturers are providing a lot more pieces that are accessible to children with limited mobility. While this may seem less interesting at first glance, imagine the benefits to children who’ve never been able to climb up to a slide or fire pole.
Image credits: Enginerdad
#48 It Was My New-Age Moms In The 80's.
Answer: this is "The Interro biocommunication device". It vaguely measures skin conductivity for the purpose of looking all high tech so a Holistic doctor can appear to have their stuff together.
Image credits: Destinmwest
#49 Inherited This Ornate Large... Pendant? Wall Decoration?
Answer: It may be Tibetan. They often wear their wealth on their clothing. This could be an ornament of that sort.
At first I thought the animals on the front looked kind of Chinese, but when I saw the mountains on the back, the style came together as Tibetan.
Image credits: flamboyantpuree
#50 Found These In My Grandma's Old Jewellery Box. Tried Googling W.s.p. Co. But No Link To Whatever These Are. They're Pretty Solid, And Somewhat Heavy
Answer: Those are screw machine cold heading punches. I still use them daily. Wsp is from wrentham tool
Image credits: Shoot_Faster
#51 Strange Mask? Found It But I’m Not Sure What It Is
Answer: the makeup or mask worn by the Beast in the 80s/90s "Beauty and the Beast"
Image credits: reddit.com
#52 I Know This Is A Drill Bit, What Are The Hoops On The Sides For? Google Has Failed Me, So I Humbly Ask You All!
Answer: It's actually for making sprial cut fruits and veggies.
Image credits: reddit.com
#53 This Hollow Bumpy Thing Was In My Quarantine Care Package. On Either End Are 5 Small Holes Arranged In A Pentagon (Which Don't Whistle Btw).
Answer: Just asked my girlfriend who is Korean who says it’s from the health centre in Jeju island. The writing says “Metropolitan mental health welfare centre” It is literally just a hand massager, really common for old people To get one with welfare packs. Pressure points are really important to Korean people. So wouldn’t be surprised to hear they include one in the COVID care kit.
Image credits: Mywifelikesteancum
#54 Found This Tool In My Grandma's Basement
Answer: A clarinet stand, or some similar musical instrument.
Image credits: Asfalots
#55 Iron, Both Found In The East Midlands UK
Answer: iron age cloak pin
Image credits: reddit.com
#56 Found This Buried In My Front Yard Years Ago
Answer: a push dagger or push knife
Image credits: reddit.com
#57 What Are These Fiberous Tabs In A Sealed Package?
Answer: anti-fog inserts for Go Pro waterproof housing
Image credits: reddit.com
#58 Found In An Old Leather (Possibly Medical) Suitcase. 12cm Long, Pincers Open When Red Top Is Pushed Down. '02406chr' Printed On Back Of Old Card Container
Answer: Olive Pickle Grabber Tongs Red Bakelite
Image credits: reddit.com
#59 My Dad Found This In His House When He Got Back From Holiday. No Idea How It Got There But That's A Different Mystery Altogether. Looks Like A Syringe But The Middle (Green) Bit Has No Hole At The End And Moves Up And Down Into The Clear Claws At The End
Answer: Its a pill dispenser for pets, the pill goes in to the claws and you use the plunger to shoot the pill to the back of the throat
Image credits: reddit.com
#60 Tiny Glass Cylinder With Magnetic Balls And Dark Liquid Inside. Found Magnet Fishing In Se United States.
Answer: The rattle out of a fishing lure
Image credits: reddit.com
#61 Found These Tiny Metallic (I Think) Balls In A Pile At A Truck Stop. They’re All Perfectly Spherical, Can’t Be Crushed Or Melted. It Feels Like Metal Sand
Answer: They’re balancing beads. Pour them inside a tire to balance it instead of putting it on a machine. Cheaper for drivers and faster for technicians
Image credits: L2Crusader
#62 Friend Received This Passed Down From His Great Great Grandfather. It’s Believed To Be From Persia & About 2,000 Years Old.
Answer: It’s a hairpin or a clothes pin/brooch. If it’s something 2000 years old, you need to see a professional at a museum/institute of archaeology to get it evaluated AND then get it insured.
Image credits: trvlbugspnner
#63 Tunnel In Basement Of Pennsylvania Rowhouse
Answer: Coal delivery.
Image credits: Bll9tu
#64 Witt: Its Made Of Really Heavy Hardwood. Unsure Of The Age Unfortunately. Given By Family Friend. Thanks
Answer: Its half a Viking chair.
Image credits: reddit.com
#65 Fell Out Of One Of My Dad's Record Sleeves... Dangerous Roach Clip Or Dated 70s Hair Accessory?
Answer: Curtain hook. It slides into a pleated curtain.
Image credits: reddit.com
#66 Found On Counter In Medical Exam Room: String Of Plastic Numbered Oval Beads. My Own Doc Had No Idea (But We Agreed It Is Not Likely To Be The Obvious Sexy Item!) Pen For Scale
Answer: orchidometer. Used for sizing testicles.
Image credits: reddit.com
#67 I Local Music Shop Is Offering Free Strings To Anyone Who Can Tell Them What This Is. Not Even The Owner Knows What It Is. Help A Brother Out?
Answer: it's a rope wrench (spreader) for small rope or wire bundles. The bar in the middle of the handle is there to help control tension on the line while you work on it, and the forks allow you to spread the strands so you can splice into it or fix a broken strand.
Image credits: SunRat_
#68 Found Next To A Cliff In The UK, Has Chains In It. Any Ideas What This Thing Is?
Answer: It is line workers hut, used to store equipment and bits and pieces. With the casualisation of the workforce these huts have gone out of use.
Image credits: BennyP_97
#69 Hello, What Is This Tool Called?
Answer: It's a box tool. Originally designed for opening and closing crates, this is a crudely made tool, yet ideal for rough work.
Image credits: Owasha
#70 Small Plastic Cylinder On Side Of Gas Pump Card Reader (Cut Open, Nothing Inside)
Answer: The only function I could see it fulfilling is preventing somebody from attaching one of those skimmers that slides over the entire mechanism, or to act as a quick visual check that a skimmer hasn't been attached.
Image credits: Spacemandan01
#71 What Are These Weird Weights That Showed Up In My Hotel Room While I Was Out?
Answer: They are fishing weights for deep sea fishing. I have a box full of them in the garage. Why they are in a hotel is beyond me maybe they use them for something else.
Image credits: inkysquares
#72 Bought A Load Of Old Surgeons Tools And Need Help Identifying What They Are
Answer: The big thing is a RIB cage/sternum scissors. The three in the top lefthand corner are parts to a vaginal speculum. Three things to the right of these are clips for holding sets of instruments, eg.scissors, and to the right again a trephine. The one below the trephine looks like a molt gag retractor.
Image credits: Vintagepruckfinder
#73 Found In A Coinstar Return Slot. Looks Like Some Type Of Key In The Shape Of A Gun.
Answer: it's a keychain gun. It's for a steering wheel lock, I've got a couple of those exact same keys for mine.
Image credits: crustybuttons
#74 Found In A Bag Of Prawn Crackers. Very Hard And Translucent
Answer: that's what prawn crackers look like before you deep fry them.
Image credits: platypus_drumstick
#75 Black Square Thing On The Door With White In The Middle And What Seems To Be Data Chips On The Top On The Door? Dont Recall This Being There Yesterday. Any Ideas?
Answer: Mounting plate for a Ring camera or a knockoff
Image credits: reddit.com
#76 What Is This Thing? Found It As A Kid And Have Never Known What It Is. Slightly Heavier Than It Looks. Says Us 4 Inch On One Side That Also Has An "L" In A Diamond, The Other Side Has Some Mark I Can't Make Out. The Triangle Is 4 Inches From Base To Tip.
Answer: I believe this is an “earth anchor” sometimes called an “arrow head anchor”. The part that sticks up opposite the point fits into a shaft and it gets driven into the ground. There’s usually a steel cable that gets routed through the holes.
Image credits: reddit.com
#77 This Weird Tweezers. Probably A Kitchen Tool.
Answer: its for squeezing lemon pieces to catch seeds
Image credits: reddit.com
#78 Near The Side Of The Road In West Virginia, Three Sides Of It Have Those Room Things.
Answer: west virginia iron furnaces
Image credits: reddit.com
#79 It's Kind Of Rubbery But Hard. Banana For Scale
Answer: Bump stop off of a Peugeot car of some sort. Keeps the springs from bottoming out
Image credits: danklytoo
#80 I Think We Found A Military Helmet While Digging Up A Stump In Our Yard. Maybe Ww1? And Another Rusted Part That Looks Like A Gear Shift.
Answer: It's an M1917 Civil Defense Helmet. Manufactured 1917 to 1942.
Image credits: junefrisbee
#81 Buried Structure In The Woods Near Suwanee River State Park Not Certain On Depth Maybe 15ft Deep And Bowls Out Very Wide. Witt
Answer: it is a water cistern
Image credits: bigblue_inabox
#82 Found This While Renovating. Any Idea? Bomb Squad On The Way. Montreal, Qc
Answer: That is an artillery round, probably 155. Looks unfired, good that EOD is en route. Do not mess with it.
Image credits: clark_harrison
#83 Found This Building While I Was Hiking In West Kerry, Ireland.
Answer: It's a water tower, formerly used to refill steam engine tanks or tenders. There used to be a railway there from 1891 to 1953.
Image credits: pungaly
#84 Drawing Found In My Father In Law’s Effects
Answer: That is an old school photo copy of a patent drawing . Looks like some kind of trocar.
Image credits: zmanl
#85 What Is This Drill Hammer Thing
Answer: Glass tool.
Image credits: sealpupster
#86 Mounds Outside Of Hotel Near Seoul
Answer: Korean burial mound
Image credits: reddit.com
#87 What Is This? I Found It In A Vintage Shop In The Kitchen Area. Somebody Told Me It's For Cheese
Answer: Feuerzange which holds the sugar cone used in making Feuerzangenbowle
Image credits: reddit.com
#88 Strange Metal Rose. About 3 Or 4 Inches Long, Embedded In Concrete In Front Of A Pub. I Have No Idea What It's Supposed To Represent, Hoped Someone Here Might!
Answer: Boot scraper. The pub is called the Wild Roses
Image credits: reddit.com
#89 Two Plugs On This Outlet, Not Sure What Either Of Them Are For! Found In Master Bedroom Of A House Built In Late 1970s
Answer: Old TV antenna. The kind you could remotely rotate to get better reception.
Image credits: reddit.com
#90 Found In The Attic Of An Old Country House In Czech Ia. Top Part Is An Open Container That Rolls On The Round Sticks Under It. Bottom Is Likely Just A Stand With Storage (Has Little Doors From The Other Side)
Answer: a mangle, possibly mangel. Used to press linens, sheets, tablecloths.
Image credits: reddit.com
#91 What Is This Vent That Comes Out Of My Neighbors House And Smells Like Natural Gas?
Answer: Left is a concentric vent, it's used for high efficiency furnaces instead of the standard "two pipe" intake and exhaust setup. Right seems to be another vent, whether it's still used or not is a guess, it may have been replaced by the one on the left. The one on the right might also be a dryer vent, hard to tell from this angle.
Image credits: reddit.com
#92 This Thing Is Above My Hospital Bed... None Of The Nurses Know What It Is/Is For
Answer: Battery powered emergency light. The red light shows it has power and the battery is charging. When the power fails that light comes on automatically to light your escape
Image credits: reddit.com
#93 Found In A Storage Cupboard At Work. The Black Bits Come Out. The Number Order Is ... Weird?
Answer: These are button samples or templates for cutting the button holes in an old push button train control panel. I caught up with an old timer that remembers them from the 80’s
Image credits: reddit.com
#94 This Device In A Nursing Home That Appears To Be Halfway Between A Sink And A Toilet
Answer: Clinical sink
Image credits: reddit.com
#95 I Found This Strange Thing Behind An Abandoned House In Mid-Michigan. It's A Weird Cone-Shaped Metal Structure With An Open Inside.
Answer: a charcoal kiln
Image credits: reddit.com
#96 Found By An Old Lakehouse, 5 Gallon Bucket For Scale. Lid Is Stuck In This Position, Only Text To Be Found Is Pictured On The Lid. Reads No 7 194 C.
Answer: an old underwater pump housing/filtration system
Image credits: TwoDimensionalSphere
#97 What Is The Hollow Part Of This For? Never Seen Anything Like It Before. Cat For Size Reference
Answer: phone table with storage space for the phone book.
Image credits: reddit.com
#98 My Mother Says This Cast Iron Thing Is For Pouring Oil, But My Grandmother Says She’s Wrong And Can’t Remember What It’s For. Help?
Answer: This thing is used to melt down lead to cast new bullets.
Image credits: reddit.com
#99 Strange Pipe. What Is The Orange Sludge?
Answer: Iron bacteria. I know because i have this problem in my basement. It isnt fun and it isnt pretty. It is harmless, just icky and a pain in the neck.
Image credits: tremellas
#100 Removed A Wall Plate And Found This Mirrored Contraption Fitting In Some Sort Of Electrical Junction Box. Any Idea What It Is?
Answer: It’s an old alarm motion sensor. Break the beam, set off the alarm. Look at the perpendicular wall for its other half. Could just be a small mirror or reflector as well on the other wall to bounce the beam back.
Image credits: Kurteg0013
#101 Solid Metal “Kiss” That Was In Our Bag Of Candy Cane Kisses. Is It Part Of The Machinery?
Answer: Definitely not a part of the machine. Since it is the same size and shape, I would say it's a QA "guage" to help operators verify shape and portion size at a glance.
Image credits: reddit.com
#102 I Found These In My Grandmothers House (Germany), They Are Made Of Thin Glass. Unfortunately There Is No Box Cover Explaining What They Are
Answer: They are for flower decoration. One singular flower goes in the tube. There is probably a stand for them somewhere around, but some people like to stick them in foam together with other decorations, or in pieces of driftwood with holes drilled into them, or even into other flowerpots. I saw very similar ones in the Bodenmais Glasmanufaktur.
Image credits: reddit.com
#103 This Is About The Size Of My Hand, Made Of/With Some Kind Of Metal (I Think Copper)
Answer: This is mostly likely thousands of years old - a Pre-Columbian artifact. You should take it to a university or museum for analysis. DO NOT polish it or clean it.
Image credits: ItsaMeRobert
#104 Someone Was Gifted This For A New Baby With No Note On What It Is
Answer: It is a door silencer. It wraps around and covers the latch on a door so that it doesn't latch and the rubber also makes the door open and close silently. The straps go around the doorknob on each side.
Image credits: padmoosen
#105 Metallic Ring With Central Slider And Numbers Engraved. Details In Comments
Answer: Sundial pendant. In the XVIII century the monks invented in the forests of Prussia, this small and handy, portable sundial, which indicates the time corresponding to the height of the sun.
Image credits: reddit.com
#106 Silver Drum/Disks, 1 In 40 Had This Inside, The Rest Were Empty
Answer: It looks a lot like the optical element of a ring laser gyroscope.
Image credits: DITButt
#107 What Is This Hook Thing In The Kitchen Cabinet?
Answer: It's a mug rack.
Image credits: reddit.com
#108 Strange Object From Tiffany's Mysteriously Given To My Wife By Her Grandmother While Refusing To Say What It Was. Probably Bought In The 1930s Or 1940s. About 10cm/4" Long. All She'd Say Was "She Used It As A Young Woman But Didn't Have Much Use For It Nowadays". Any Ideas?
Answer: Tree Branch Muddler
Image credits: reddit.com
#109 Purchased In San Diego - Approx 5 Feet Long Harness Quality Leather With Signs Of Sweat Marks From Animal Use. Horse Family Does Not Recognize It As Horse Tack.
Answer: Rare vintage Austrian draft horse brass
Image credits: reddit.com
#110 Found This Odd Steel Tool After A Break-In
Answer: It’s pull arm for a soft serve ice cream machine
Image credits: reddit.com
#111 This Was Moving Like A Slow Boat And Had A Guy’s Head Poking Out On Top. Is It A Custom Raft? Commercially Available? What Is This
Answer: Bubbleboat
Image credits: reddit.com
#112 These Rings Frozen Into The Reservoir At Changdeokgung Palace In Seoul. Details In Captions And Comments
Answer: That’s a RA2 Diffused Aeration System the rings are from where the bubbles go and as it was freezing it has trapped air in the ice making it white kind of like a snow cone turns white
Image credits: wildtaylorberry
#113 Any Thoughts To What These Structures Are In The Sahara Desert? 22.1127, -12.0785
Answer: A french fortress from 1930s. I think this area was a common path of travel before the railroad and highway were constructed to the west. I have some old maps, the mountain peak of "Aouchich" is right next to this site and there are plenty of old maps that show people traveling through. I think if we could get a french military map we may find something on it.
Image credits: CTB2031
#114 My Dog Brought This Home, Doesn’t Really Do Anything Except Light Up When Turned On
Answer: it's the wireless remote controller from a vibrator.
Image credits: Botraa
#115 My Dad Found This Earlier Today With His Metal Detector And Has No Clue What It Is. Its About 5cm X 4cm. What Is This Thing?
Answer: It is part of a bracelet or belt.
Image credits: reddit.com
#116 Circular Outlet In Wall, Wad Of Tinfoil Inserted Into It. What Is This For?
Answer: Coax cable, just missing the coupler
Image credits: reddit.com
#117 Scary Looking Thing, But What Is It? A Friend Found This, Including The Note, In A Forest In Germany. Seems To Be Dangerous When Burned, But Nobody Could Tell Us What It Is And What The Note Is All About...
Answer: dried pine or spruce sap
Image credits: reddit.com
#118 Tiny Brass Hammer, Found On Pavement When Walking About, Doesn't Come Apart Or Seem To Unscrew, No Holes Or Sockets, Ruler And Penny For Scale.
Answer: Hammer for Metal work
Image credits: reddit.com
#119 Found In My Drawer. Has Spikes On The Bottom, Possibly Something Raspberry-Pi Ish? Has A Microusb Slot And WiFi Connection.
Answer: It's a Lolin V3 Module
Image credits: reddit.com
#120 My Dad Passed On Monday And In The Process Of Going Through His Things We Found These With His Dog Tag From Vietnam. Obviously They’re Pins But Can Anyone Help Identify Them?
Answer: Top 2 are pins of the PAVN of a major general rank and a corporal. Third pin too blurry. 4th pin dont know. Top 2 pins are obviously "war souvenirs".
Image credits: reddit.com
#121 Neighbours House Has This Weird Balcony-Like Thing In Front Of His Window (4th Floor). No Way A Balcony Like That Would Pass Regulations Here Though So What Is It?
Answer: Might be an emergency fire exit. From what I can see, the house looks a bit older, from late 19th or early 20th century. The owner/ landlord had the attic remodeled to an extra appartment. In Germany, any utilization unit (flat, appartment, single family house, comercial units etc.) needs at least two emergency exits. In habitable units like appartments, this can also be achieved via windows where the fire department can "pick you up" with their ladder truck. These windows must be within 1 meter from the eaves. These "emergency steps" are quite common in urban areas where living space is in demand.
Image credits: reddit.com
#122 Found Among Grandma's Things. All Snowflakes Go Into Box, Spring Clasp On The Box.
Answer: charms- peace, love, happiness
Image credits: EMFB
#123 Wooden Weiner Dog, Tail End Is Removable, Body Is Hollow, Is This More Than A Decoration?
Answer: It’s a toy made by Brodhaven Mfg
Image credits: nocturne213
#124 Little Brick Outcroppings Dotted Every 20 Feet Or So On Old Brick Building. Nashville Tn
Answer: For shrubbery , there was probably a small planter box.
Image credits: fatetrumpsfear
#125 Witt I Work At The Health Department And Found This No Idea What It Does
Answer: My husband is a manufacturing engineer for a medical company. He says it's sold by conmed. Probably a plate holder or plate bender.
Image credits: taternator25
#126 Witt We Found Them In A Drawer, They’re Metallic And Quite Stabby. Banana For Scale
Answer: for needles to hold shut a turkey or old together meats while cooking. While typically those have a loop for a string these do not. It’s possible the grooves are for wrapping a string around them.
Image credits: reddit.com
#127 What Is This Hole Under My Partner’s Porch? He Just Moved In A Few Days Ago (To The Apartment Not The Hole). It Also Looks Like...raw Sewage?
Answer: That's sewage from the house.
Image credits: reddit.com
#128 Huge Metal Cylinder Found In The Middle Of The Woods (Central Pennsylvania)
Answer: It’s an “upright” tank for fluid storage
Image credits: reddit.com
#129 I Loved These Candies At My Grandparents, But Don't Know The Name Of Them. Anybody Know ?
Answer: Heller & Strauss tutti frutti fruit flavoured candies
Image credits: reddit.com
#130 Strange Robot Friend Neighbors Trashed After Moving Out
Answer: a robot used for a laser tag game
Image credits: Bre4dM4n
#131 Anyone Know What This Metal Object Is? (Might Be Photography Related)
Answer: razor blade
Image credits: edo45890
#132 Kitchen Tool Made By Winco. No Idea What It Is
Answer: shrimp peeler deveiner
Image credits: TacosAreJustice
#133 Found This Image Online But I’m Unsure On What This Actually Is. I Think It’s From An Abandoned Hospital But I Don’t Know What It’s Used For.
Answer: Traction table
Image credits: reddit.com
#134 No Idea What This Is, Passed Down In The Family We’ve Had It Since The 1880s As It Was Owned By My Grandmother’s Grandmother
Answer: one of the character in the Chinese mythology
Image credits: rymerster
#135 An Old Shield From My Grandparents. About 30cm Across. Has “Elkington” Inscribed On The Back
Answer: Elkington & Co used to be an electroplate manufacturing company that made replica shields, among other things
Image credits: ezyaffordable
#136 I Found This On The Beach In Delaware It Looks Like Fossilized Honeycomb?
Answer: It’s coral!
Image credits: sunshine-puppy
#137 My Contractor Brings This With Him Into My House Every Day And I’m Not Sure What It Is. It Says “Uraguay” On The Front
Answer: Yerbe Mate tea cup, they are all over in South America.
Image credits: reddit.com
#138 Found On The Isle Of Skye, Scotland
Answer: It's a common Buddha amulet.
Image credits: skyediver69
#139 Found Some Old Oriental Silk Garments Of My Great Grandfathers.
Answer: Dressing in robes like these to play mah jong was quite in vogue in the 1920s-30s
Image credits: Valli42
#140 Solid Metal Egyptian-Looking Scarab. My Gma Believes She Got It Somewhere In Europe A Long Time Ago. It Has Hieroglyphs On The Underside And Is Fairly Heavy For Its Size
Answer: a brass scarab. Tourist trinket.
Image credits: kikofrn
#141 Bullet Type Thing Found In Back Seat Of Car After Finding Hole In Window
Answer: thats a bullet. Someone probably was shooting into the air. it would tumble on its way down, its nearly impossible to shoot perfectly up and at a slight angle, it would arc and maintain its energy and fly straight. You can clearly see, it impacted on its face, and not else where. If it was someone shooting on the ground and missed something, it would have been deformed more. Would not expand properly if its at slower speeds and hitting glass instead of soft tissue.
Image credits: vipshortbus34
#142 What Explosive Is This? Found In An Attic Today. Diameter: ~10cm
Answer: 1907 denotes an American timed fuse (you can see the twist timer on the nose). Red usually denotes an incendiary round. Not sure what "Lab." represents here. Likely a US or British incendiary artillery shell. Deactivated or not, it's still nothing you want to have in your home, and might quite possibly be illegal to possess, depending on where you live.
Image credits: reddit.com
#143 A Bunch Of Three Armed Poles, Near The Bike Stands. The Arms Rotate. Outside A Tower Block In London
Answer: It's an art installation for The Dumont Apartments at the Albert Embankment. There's a little bit of information about it in the pdf brochure for the building: "Random International’s creations work on many levels, creating moments of astonishment as much as personal discovery: while Turnstile is designed so that many people can engage with it at the same time, another installation planned for Merano Residences is more intimate in scale, allowing only one or two people to interact with it at once."
Image credits: reddit.com
#144 What Is The Name For This Playground Equipment? It Has A Handle Connecting To The Top Bar, Which Is A Rail
Answer: that's a junior jungle flying fox module.
Image credits: reddit.com
#145 Does Anyone Know What This Box Is?
Answer: Chinese or Japanese ink, in block form. You use the dish, with a little water, to grind it into a usable liquid.
Image credits: rizona_
#146 Gave To Me By My Now Ex-Stepfather, He Told Me It Belonged To His Grandfather And Was Used In Some War. The Thing Weights A Lot, Isn't Very Big, Is Hollow, And Looks A Lot Like A Bomb. We Live In Brasil, And From My Knowledge, We Weren't Involved In Many Wars. Can Someond Indentify What This Is?
Answer: it is a AN-MK-23 PRACTICE BOMB.
Image credits: reddit.com
#147 Witt? Mom Bought A Box Of Old Pins And This Was Among Them. Appears To Be Metal, Backside Is Empty Aside From Marks Of Being Glued To Something
Answer: Readers Digest sweepstakes token.
Image credits: reddit.com
#148 Found In My New Home, Built In The 1950s
Answer: It’s an on / off for a house alarm.
Image credits: reddit.com
#149 Witt; Found This In Old Dumped Housewares. It’s A Piece Of Solid Glass, So It Can’t Hold Anything Inside. It’s About 15cm Long And Has A Plated Copper Cap
Answer: It’s a broken off piece of a towel bar.
Image credits: reddit.com
#150 What's Mounted To The Centre Of This Bus's Wheel? Seems To Be From Argentina If That Helps
Answer: It is a Central Tyre Inflation System. CTIS. I think an installation like this might be a retrofit.
Image credits: reddit.com
#151 What Is This Uniform? Photo Taken In England, 1915. The Man Would Have Been In His Early 50s And Was Involved In The Salvation Army. I Don't Know If He Had Any Military Service
Answer: He was in part of The Royal Scots, as he's wearing a Glengarry cap, and although its hard to define the cap badge, it looks about the right size. He is also appears to be wearing a medal ribbon.
Image credits: reddit.com
#152 Weird Stuff Found In An Old Jewelry
I found them in my grandfather shop, he was a Jeweler(the shop has been closed for 23 years).The man figurine is a paper clip, the two urns have alcohol names (a friend of mine who understands mandarin told me), in the black one there is also written Beijing.They are made of metals, probably gold, but there isn't anything written anywhere.I live in south italy, nobody from my family (as far as i know) ever traveled to china. The writings in the urns: 五糧液 Wuliangye Yibin 老窖 Luzhou Laojiao Answer: The art technique is called Cloisonne. The bottles could be snuff bottles sold as souvenirs.
Image credits: OhNo4444
#153 What Is This Weird Large Barrel Looking Thing Hanging On A Wire At Local Park?
Answer: It is for fire hose competition. Move the barrel back and forth with fire hoses.
Image credits: Gags30
#154 Some Type Of Hammer Type Tool, All I Know It Was Sent From Africa Around 1945.
Answer: It's called a sugar hammer. Sugar hammers are hammers that were used to break up chunks of sugar to put into teas.
Image credits: reddit.com
#155 Witt: On The Ceiling In A Hotel. There Is A Smoke Detector In The Same Room As This. It's Completely Smooth On All Sides Besides The Gray Thing In The Middle
Answer: It's a PIR sensor. It detects if someone is moving in the room. Usually used for automatic lights or for the alarm.
Image credits: reddit.com
#156 Found At A Car/Truck Graveyard Today. The Additional Frame Was Added To This Coupe Deville & Has Wiring To The Frame With Lights, The Logo, & A Number On The Side Of It. Anyone Know What It's For?
Answer: it is a starting car for a horse race, 6 horses. Those open up.
Image credits: thinkingofasandwich
#157 My Neighbor (Who Has Recently Installed An Amazon Doorbell Camera, Which Is Weird For The Netherlands) Has Just Put This On His Roof. It Seems To Be Aimed Directly At My Female Housemate’s Bedroom Window And She Is Concerned It’s Another Camera
Answer: Integrated GNSS System
Image credits: reddit.com
#158 These Have Been In Our Kitchen Drawer For Ages, But We Havent Figured Out What They Are Used For. Any Ideas?
Answer: Green one opens bananas, the blue one to Peel oranges
Image credits: reddit.com
#159 Old Mechanical Device Found In A Dumpster. Extreme Heavy. Cash Register? Mechanical Calculator?
Answer: a Odhner mechanical calculator
Image credits: reddit.com
#160 Ww2 Kit. Don’t Have Much Info. Just Curious About Cylindrical Case
Answer: A mortar shell/round tube. They were distributed with the troops during operations
Image credits: reddit.com
#161 I Found This Box In NYC. Is 6.5l X 3.5w. Has Faces Carved On The Four Sides Of The Box And The Top
Answer: It’s a sorta reproduction. None of these things appeared on a box but are fairly well know images from the Inca. The top one is from Pachacamac iirc. The originals are large carved stone heads on stele. Tourist stuff from the Andes.
Image credits: krombopulos-rick
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