Folks always seem to find funky little objects they’ve never seen before and can’t quite identify. Luckily, that’s where the r/whatisthisthing subreddit comes in. Here are 14 recent finds posted to the sub and what they turned out to be:
1. This thin, metal rod with a tiny handle that was dropped off at a thrift store:
2. This small bulb-shaped item found in a box in an attic in South Carolina:
3. Two hollow metal cylinders found in an abandoned mine in Utah:
4. This bell-like structure at the top of a Victorian-era brick building:
5. This 5-foot-tall metal tube at an abandoned train station in Belgium:
6. These scrub-brush like objects sticking out of the side of a house:
7. This small metal cup with a flat, holey side found in a Victorian-era dump in Southeast England:
u/Snecklad / Via reddit.com
“It’s a drain cover for a shower. Found a picture.“
The original poster, u/Snecklad, replied, “Solved! It’s a Victorian Bell trap. Thank you very much indeed! It’s been bugging me for ages.
The second diagram on that page is an exact match for the object. More sleuthing has pulled up some scans from Victorian sanitary hardware catalogues that also match, plus one or two images online of rusty old bell traps similar to mine.”
8. This orange, moist goo found under some tall grass:
9. This egg-shaped object with a black lacquered handle:
u/westyjoe / Via reddit.com
“That’s a darning egg. The black lacquered part is the handle, and the lighter wood is the ‘egg’ to brace clothing against when darning holes. It’s especially useful for socks!”
10. This metal case containing some equipment and Russian manuals:
u/Professional-Let4358 / Via reddit.com
“Booklet reads in Russian: Dose rate meter (roentgen meter) – TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION AND OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS.
So I believe this is an old portable radiation detector (aka dosimeter) that probably provides gamma and dose rate measurements for emergency response and hazmat.”
“Not a dosimeter, but a radiac meter. A dosimeter measures CUMULATIVE radiation absorbed by the wearer. Radiac meters show the current level of radiation in the area.”
11. This 2-foot-long case lined with silk:
12. These steel hoops outside of people’s front doors in Bordeaux:
u/colesy_88 / Via reddit.com
“Boot scrapers.”
“When those were installed, horses were probably the main transportation option, and in addition, nobody carried dog poop bags. I have seen quotes that NYC in 1900 dealt with 2.5 million pounds of horse poop per day! Vibram hadn’t been invented, so I would guess not a lot of lugged soles. That would make these both very necessary and probably fairly effective.”
13. This oblong weighted metal object that spins on the attached ring:
u/eaten_by_pigs / Via reddit.com
“These are called Emei daggers. This is a training weapon for kung fu.”