Curious about the peculiar objects around you? Dive into "What Are These Things?" to unravel the mysteries of unusual items and their surprising uses. From bizarre gadgets to intriguing artifacts, this post uncovers the stories and functions behind the objects that leave you wondering, "What on earth is that?"
"“It’s about 6 1/2 inches long and made of solid brass.”"
1
Answer: “Looks to me like a zen sand garden rake. Unless it telescopes, in which case I’ll go with back scratcher.”
“Two steps found at every playground in town.”
2
Answer: “A stop on an exercise circuit. There may be other cardio-type apparatus’ within a hundred yards or so.”
“What is this type of clamp used for? It doesn’t open more than this, and when closed, the holes collide perfectly.”
3
Answer: "That’s a gang lock for Lockout/Tagout. It’s placed on a breaker when many people are working with equipment to keep them safe."
“It is a 33cm wooden shaped handle with a set of five very pointy needles.”
4
Answer: "Wool carding combs."
“Pink, metal, spoon-like object hanging from the ceiling in a trailer.”
5
Answer: "Seems to be a Smart Hook installed on the ceiling for some odd reason"
“What are these blue reflective markers for? They’re facing the field.”
6
Answer: "They reflect cars’ headlights to the fields so that animals avoid crossing the road."
“Metal tile with slot in hallway of old university building. Standard floor tile size.”
7
Answer: "It’s a dust collector for a built in vacuum system. You dry mop the halls then clean the dry mop using the vacuum at this slot. It used to have a lid that fit the long slot and sealed it. The round part is a hookup for a vacuum hose. My high school had them and the janitors used it."
“I now own these neon rainbow acrylic mystery sticks I found at a secondhand store. Does anyone know what I bought?”
8
Answer: "They’re acrylic support tiles for playing Mahjong."
“I found this odd set of disposable cutlery in my new flat.”
9
Answer: "They’re clay modeling instruments or cake-decorating tools."
“This is about 3ft talk made of solid wood. It doesn’t weigh much though, maybe 5 or 10 lbs. It does not move”
10
Answer: "Boot puller."
“Bought a house with this glass structure in the backyard, no idea what it’s supposed to be.”
11
Answer: "Looks like a home built mini greenhouse."
“My hotel room bed leg has a red-flashing light coming from a rubber piece.”
12
Answer: "It’s a mesh bed bug detector."
“Small board on top ironing board in an Airbnb.”
13
Answer: "It’s for ironing shirt sleeves for those who prefer their sleeves without the crease."
“What is this red, 3.5 inch by 4 inch cylindrical object I found in the cabinets of a rental property?”
14
Answer: "This is likely a paw brush for dogs who walk outside and get dirty paws."
“This was in an estate auction lot. It’s made of wood and has a metal section with the letter A.”
15
Answer: "It’s a tool for softening, making imprints, and cutting leather."