Has it ever happened to you that you decided to clean your house or were just walking down the street and found something, but you’d never be able to guess what they are?
At Reddit, under the sub “r/whatisthisthing”, there are people going around asking questions to try and figure out what the purpose of the strange item they came across really is. The results were quite varied, It’s not that they were priceless either, it’s that they had such history behind them.
Things that we in our current everyday life take for granted. Who would have thought that a fan once existed designed specifically for phone booths? t’s just so alien, even though common household electricity is barely a hundred-year-old concept. It just seems like something we’ve had forever.
Grandpa’s tool, but not sure what it is. It’s a hand vise for jewelry and watch repair.
Tauvik -Via
This is an egg topper/cutter.
CapitanM -Via
Staying in a Victorian style AirBnb in England and found this in the kitchen cabinet. It’s a juicer for citrus fruit and stands above a cup or glass.
CaptainRipp -Via
These holes are how ecology data is collected by counting how many clams in every hole to find the average of the entire beach.
papa_higgins -Via
Found this metal object. No text or numbers. It can retract to be the size of a bracelet. It’s top or closure of a vintage purse or small handbag.
s1l4z_behr -Via
Found a weird gear that counts from 1 to 31 at an estate sale. It appears to be a tachometer and the dial reads RPMs.
lilmilkyduds -Via
Found this crank thing on the wall of an old house. Appears to be an ice crusher.
patpend -Via
This lightweight, pointy cylindrical tin we don’t know about. It’s the musical in Dominican Republic, a Güira.
UnadoptedPuppy -Via
Pull the ring and 4 sharp pins pop out. It’s a rare anti-theft device for pocket watches before the 20th century as the spikes extend and alert you when someone tries to steal it.
johnsinternetsales -Via
This scissors has 3 blades and the handle bends to lock it open. You know it if you use it, because it’s a herb cutter.
Old_Veal -Via
Found a small Swiss brass box outdoor. This is actually a portable ashtray with a spot to rest cigarette on.
synthetic_tendency -Via
This cute tiny pineapple with a spoon is a miniature salt cellar.
martinmartin538 -Via
Seem like a compressor of sort and has the number 190 engraved inside. It’s a candle wick trimmer.
Inside_Person -Via
This thing made of hard leater, laying in basement is a sailmaker’s palm to push needles through heavy material.
snowyh65 -Via
This thing with on-off switch inside an old phone booth in Marriot in KC. It’s a part of old fan that was built for phone booths.
opencircut -Via
Got this at a thrift store, an old camera shutter timer that is attached on a camera and then winded up.
blebbleb1 -Via
Found this in my house that had an old bar. Don’t think too much: it’s just a clamp to hold bar towels and the ring is to keep it locked.
xG33Kx -Via
Seeing these getting installed in my university for the first time. They’re temporary steam outlets when a section of steam pipe is being worked on.
reego_7789 -Via
In a Midwest house that was built in early 1900s on the wall in the closet. It’s the century old equivalent to your circuit breaker panel.
raaldiin -Via
Found in the woods, but definitely not a real gun and could be 50+ years old based on the rust. It’s the Buck Rogers Disintegrator Space Ray Gun; in other words, a vintage gun toy from 1940s!
I-Love-Making-U-Rage -Via
Found this in the attic, appears to be a blueberry comb and should be held in the other direction.
boehm__ -Via
