I don’t know about you, but when I come across something that I don’t know anything about , I kind of want to learn as much as I can about it.
Which is exactly what the people of the whatisthisthing subreddit love doing. Some people came across the things in this list, and they turned to the internet to get some answers .
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“Looks like some sort of vintage pie divider. Not sure the reason for the ring.”
The commenters were incredibly sure that this thing is a pie cooling rack. For pies that come straight out of the oven. Probably a good thing to find if holidays are on the horizon.
“Looks like a big pot but has a indented hole in the middle and one on the side that looks like something attaches to.”
The reason why this thing was such a mystery is because it’s incomplete. But as the comment section pieced together, it’s part of a steam juicer.
“Star shaped bent springy steel wire with ring terminals found among old plumbing tools.”
This thing was a wire sawblade at one point, but it looks like somebody bent it into the shape of a star for… some reason.
“Sliding tray with holes on both sides of this sofa.”
The comments did a little bit of deduction, and figured out that this is a holder for a tray (that would fit into the holes). That actually makes a lot of sense.
“What is this set of ropes mounted to this wall?”
Today, I (and OP) learned something new. Apparently, there’s this thing called rope yoga , which is exactly how it sounds. And the ropes in the bedroom in this pic are for just that.
“What is this dam like structure in Tenerife south? Has a hatch thing which is connected to pipes.”
Apparently, the metal thing is part of a pump system for a saltwater pool, which is what that concrete structure would’ve been at one point.
“Found two of these in my yard, small polynet pouch.”
Reddit user HoldLeftEdge had a very specific answer to this: “I’m pretty sure that’s an Auto Scents air freshener. Going by the color it might be the Apple Cinnamon variety. A lot of car dealerships use them because they’re pretty cheap and come in 60 count bags.”
“Small metal object that came in a multi-piece crochet kit from Amazon.”
You’d think that, if it came with a crochet kit, it’d have something to do with crochet. But no. It’s an ear-cleaning device. I probably wouldn’t stick that thing in my ear, though.
“What looks to be large, maybe 30 ft poles with nets strung between them and bleachers to the side, off the side of the road with a ‘No Trespassing’ sign.”
The comments figured out that it’s some kind of throwing sport space. Like, for hammer throwing or discus — you throw the object into the nets so you don’t have to chase it down every time.
“Metal tool with handle. A peg in the middle spins to open and close. There are slots to rest something in.”
The comment section was quick with this one. It’s a tool for removing chain pins for bicycle chains and the like.
“Canvas bag with rubber mesh pockets all around. [Less than] one cubic foot.”
Obviously it’s a bag that’s meant to hold things, but what? Well, the comment section for this post determined that it’s a shower caddy, so it holds bath products.
“This was in an estate auction lot. It is made of a non magnetic metal. It has 4 wheels. It is only 2″ off the ground at its highest point.”
All the commenters pretty much figured out that it’s some kind of seat. For what? An antique rowing machine, of all things.
“Metal object with three funnels. About 9 inches long. Seems to be made of tin, the handle says ‘Made in Portugal.’ It was found in my university archive, it was donated along with culinary items.”
This is a tool for making a Portuguese dish called Fios de Ovos. It’s a sweet egg dessert, apparently.
“Orange plastic Samuel Adams handle-like swag items won at bar trivia.”
Actually, the branding on them is kind of a dead giveaway. Because, as it turns out, these clip-things are for beer cans, to act as a handle for them.
“What is this flat candle? 14” tall and has a loop on top which may be a wick.”
Actually, they aren’t candles at all. Reddit user EcceFelix was quick to identify them, saying, “These aren’t candles, but beeswax religious icons. The loop is for hanging. These are popular with the Greek Orthodox.”
“What’s this red gooey stuff in the hex socket under the bike seat?”
Sometimes, a mystery really isn’t that mysterious. In this case, the mystery substance is actually just grease, which makes a lot of sense considering where on the bike it is.
I found this in the woods like 15 years ago. It’s roughly as long as a pencil, metal, and has some pretty detailing on it. The tip curves slightly as it comes to a point.”
The comment section said that this is a pick tool for cracking nuts and the like, though a lot of users also use them to crack crab and lobster shells.
“What is this? It’s a little door by the toilet with a spoon shaped device attached to a hinge. It’s in an older house from 1938.”
Back before we had toilet paper rolls , we just had stacks of bathroom tissue. They’d go in trays like this, apparently, with the “spoon” acting as a weight to keep the stack in place.
“Weirdly shaped piece of metal found at bottom of McDonalds bag.”
On the plus side, it probably didn’t come from food or anything. In all likelihood, it’s a clip for the top of a tea dispenser (which makes sense considering where it came from).
“Found at an antique store. Any ideas. They have good weight to the them and just just a bunch of nails on a base…”
As strange as this thing looks, it’s actually just a flower frog . They’re used to hold stems for flowers and plants in vases, keeping them in place.
