There's No Way People Could Have Figured Out What These 24 Weird Objects Were Without The Help Of The Internet
If you've ever had a moment where you found an odd item you couldn't identify — well, you're not alone. Turns out this happens to everyone, pretty much constantly. Thankfully, the kind folks at the r/whatisthisthing subreddit are happy to help. Here are 24 recent finds from the sub and what they turned out to be:
1.This big wooden table with round indentions someone purchased in the Netherlands that was made in 1893:
"This is the same table; it has the same markings and grain in picture five. It's a copy of a French farm table."
2.This wiring panel next to an electrical outlet in a 1930s home:
"For a radio set. In 1930, radio was still new. Most of the rules written by the US FCC were developed in 1927 and 1934; Britain and Europe would have been similar.
The right is for the ground, as it is labeled. The two in the center would be for an antenna, like a Windom antenna. Think of the old UHF loop antennae that were delivered with new televisions; straighten that out into a straight wire, and you will have a similar antenna.
The left is one of two things. One option is for a remote speaker. Early radios were large, and often, the speaker was a separate piece of equipment. They were furniture, often mounted in beautiful stained and varnished wood cabinets. The receiver would often be mounted on a table or mantle, and the speaker could be located in a different part of the room or another room altogether. This gave better sound but also reduced the size of what could otherwise be a very large piece of furniture.
A second option is that the left jack could be used to connect a telephone. I have seen both. Personally, since the other connections are radio-related, I am inclined to say it is for a speaker."
3.This part-hammer, part-axe device found in an old woodshed:
u/joebanks544 / Via reddit.com
"Meat tenderizer."
4.This metal pipe with a heavy, cement-filled end:
"It's the counterweight for this floor lamp. This lamp style is designed to go behind the corner of a sectional sofa."
5.This flat wooden square with a section in the middle that swivels:
u/YanniRotten / Via reddit.com
"Miracle Board. Used for magic tricks."
6.This long metal pole with a hook found in a garage:
u/fuppinbackstard / Via reddit.com
"I'm a plumber; that is a tool to shut water off at the curb."
"This has been my go-to housewarming gift for years because people rarely need them, but when you need one, you need it NOW."
7.These perforated metal tubes with a fabric strap found in Eastern Ukraine:
"These are hair curlers."
8.This wooden handle found in the commercial kitchen of an old, historic building:
9.This small collapsible ruler with extra markings on it:
u/gorobloso / Via reddit.com
"That's a sector rule! Similar in some ways to the slide rule."
"For reference, here's the wiki page."
10.This random, purple piece of plastic found on a sidewalk:
"Kinder surprise toy, specifically this one and this part."
11.This metal thing sticking out of the countertop in a hotel bathroom:
"Wall-mounted bottle opener. I priced them for a small motel I worked at in PA. Our furniture was torn up from bottles, and I told the owner it'd save him money to have them mounted next to refrigerators."
The original poster, u/OkBreakfast3391, replied, "SOLVED! I just opened a bottle with it. Thank you, internet stranger."
12.This tiny plastic case containing small plastic tools:
"Wax guards and application tools for a hearing aid. Here's an example."
13.These small, ceramic plates that seem to have handles:
"They are ashtrays."
14.This small but heavy antique piece of wooden furniture:
"Smoking stand. The metal cube would be a tobacco humidor, and the sides would hold magazines and newspapers."
"Here's a fancy (but rather beat up) one. And here's one just like yours, but with a gaudy paint job."
15.This metal gadget with a wooden knob that turns gears that rotate in opposite directions:
"That is an arc lamp from an old movie projector or spotlight. It held carbon rods that formed an electrical arc between them. One of the jobs of the projectionist was to watch this through a dark glass window in the back of the projector and turn the knob to keep the electrode spacing correct so the arc didn't go out."
16.This steel and brass tube someone found under the seat of a van they'd just purchased:
u/Long-Term_Roadrunner / Via reddit.com
"That's the tip of a propane or map gas torch."
17.This 3-inch long wooden case with a couple of vents:
u/ope__sorry / Via reddit.com
"Cricket cages."
"This. Here's a less fancy one than what you have."
18.This little holder cup inside a bathroom stall in Germany:
"Good old times. Smoking and big business in one sitting. It is an ashtray."
19.This ornamental chain with bangles and pliers on it found at an estate sale:
"African Dogon Priest's Iron Hogon Duge Necklace from Mali."
"It is!"
20.These metal, mesh wire boxes without any doors or flaps:
"I am a commercial diver. I do construction underwater in Manhattan. We recently used these exact cages on a project called The Billion Oyster Project. It’s a conservation effort to restore the NYC oyster population.
What they did was fill these box cages with oyster shells. Then we welded them together. Then, they put a box of either live oysters or oyster shells seeded with juvenile oysters on the top of this box pyramid. Then we lowered them by crane down to the river bottom and staked them into the mud.
We also installed concrete habitats seeded with juvenile oysters. Our location was the Gansevoort Peninsula, just south of The Little Island and just west of the Whitney Museum."
21.This plastic, four-tined comblike object found in a pile of knitting supplies:
"Definitely a music book holder (but this could be used to hold open a softcover book that contains a knitting pattern or a magazine that contains a reference photo or something of the sort).
Most of them have a slightly different claw shape, where the claws curve outward a little — but I have one that is nearly identical to this (regarding the shape/angle of the claws) called the Kiboch page holder bookmark."
22.This tiny funnel and scoop found in a jewelry box in Florida:
u/OldRecipe910 / Via reddit.com
"It is part of a cosmetic set. Funnel us to refill your travel perfume bottle, and the scoop is to refill a compact with more powder."
"Here it is."
23.This 12-inch metal plate found in a backyard:
"I was thinking it was going to be the footplate for a scooter, but actually, I believe it is this engine guard from this gas-powered scooter."
24.And finally, this tiny metal claw that extends when its handle is pushed down:
u/almostnotreallyit / Via reddit.com
"It's an olive/sugar cube grabber. Or whatever you want to grab with that."
If you enjoyed looking at all these interesting objects, check out some other items identified by the internet here:
People Had No Idea What These 17 Items Were Until The Internet Came To The Rescue
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