There are some very weird, very specific objects out there that you probably don't know about. At least the internet exists and you can try to find answers on your own, but it might be hard to actually research some of these things.
That is, unless you actually ask others, like the people of the whatisthisthing subreddit did. Someone out there always knows what's what, so they were able to figure these objects out quickly.
It almost looks like a storage unit, like it could be a series of shelves that hang along a wall or something. Or maybe it goes in some kind of drawer.
Well, it isn't any of those things. It's a commercial bread pan, used for making multiple loaves at once. Simple enough.
It looks to me like some kind of weird little alarm or something. Which means it probably isn't that.
In fact, it's a vacuum tube amplifier. It's used to amplify electronic devices like musical instruments. This one is hanging out on a mailbox, which means it was probably used for decoration.
What could this one be? A bunch of weird matches? A piece of crafting equipment?
Nope! It's an antique tie rack. Turns out we're looking at it the wrong way. If it was mounted on a wall with the pins facing outward, you can hang ties off of it.
This looks like those security cameras they mount in the ceilings of stores these days. But this one is in a house, so it probably isn't that.
In fact, it's a vintage heat detector. Before modern smoke alarms, they used to use these to warn people about house fires. They're pretty useless now, but at least they look cool.
It's definitely something you use in the kitchen. But what exactly could it be...?
If you looked at this thing and thought it could be a melon baller, you're right! It's specifically called a fluted oval melon baller, and like the name implies, it helps you scoop melons into balls. But fancier.
This one has to be another kitchen item. Like a weird, small colander or something.
...Nope. It's a flower frog, which is used to hold flowers in place. They come in a bunch of different sizes and styles, but the fact that this one is literally shaped like a flower should've been a dead giveaway.
This one stumped me. I don't even have a guess as to what it could be.
Luckily, Reddit users were able to identify it right away as a thief's kettle, which is also known as a Kendhil Maling. There's a hole on the bottom where water can come out, rather than pouring it out of the spout.
Reddit user PKDickman provided a pretty good description of the product:
"Action and Uses
Sedative, antispasmodic, bypaotic. For use in simple insomnia and conditions of nervous excitation."
It's some kind of old medicine. Mystery solved!
It looks like it could be a lot of things. A gardening tool, some kind of animal care item. A strange cooking utensil. But none of those descriptions fit the bill.
This thing is a foot rest for a barstool. It looks pretty old, too. Nothing like the foot rests you see nowadays.
So it's not a sink or fountain, and probably isn't a birdbath, so what could it be...?
The fine people of Reddit found the answer surprisingly easily. It's a device used in Taiwanese parks where kids can mix sand with water.
Reddit user Pastaybasta gave a bit more detail on it, saying, "There is one of these at our local park. Can confirm: it is usually filled with sand soup. The kids love using it to mix sand and water." Huh, you learn something new every day.
Mysterious river objects are always fun to try and guess. They always look like they could be literally anything, from some kind of antique musical instrument, to a really cool rock that actually formed naturally.
In this case, it's a spout for a clay teapot. GaryFromAtlanta on Reddit explains the funny shape on one end:"The glaze on the outside of doing something called “crawling” and that hole pattern is typical for a teapot spout." Cool!
They may look like bullets at a glance, but they couldn't be. Look at how hollow those things are. Nope, they have to be something else.
Like anchors for attaching screws and nails to wood and concrete. Seems plausible, because that's actually what they are. Very nice and definitely not overcomplicated.
It almost looks like one of those fancy cheese knives, like the ones you use to spread soft cheeses like brie. Except, this is a bit bigger and has a strange blade.
It's actually a multipurpose kitchen tool. It's part fruit knife, part pineapple/vegetable peeler, and it even has a bottle opener.
Reddit user undercookedbiscuits also explains that this was found in a hotel room. Pretty much everyone in the comments agrees that it's some kind of security motion sensor, probably for times when the room isn't supposed to be occupied. Just to make sure no one's where they aren't supposed to be.
Wait, I might actually know this one! A large pipe found behind a kitchen wall, seemingly leading from the second floor? It's got to be a bathroom vent pipe.
And it looks like I was right, since all the comments on the thread are saying the same thing. Apparently, it has some moisture on it, so OP needs to get that checked out.
I was convinced that this is some kind of musical instrument, like a little ocarina. But sadly, it's never an instrument, is it?
Remember that flower frog from before? This is another kind. Like I said, they really do come in all sorts of different shapes, sizes, and styles.
A thing that looks like a pen, but isn't a pen, huh... Nope, I'm stumped.
Lucky for us, there are people out there who know exactly what this is. And it just so happens to be a rather small knife sharpener. According to the comments, it's a good quality one, to boot.
Looking at it on a random counter in a store, it doesn't seem like much. But imagine it over a bathtub. Suddenly, it all makes sense.
It's a bath caddy/tray. For when you're taking a bath and you want to have stuff in there with you, like a book or food.
Not expanding foam, but it could be something a lot more annoying to deal with.
The Reddit comments believe it's fiberglass insulation (and I agree with them). This is something you don't want in a vent, because all those tiny strands of fiberglass will get in your lungs, and that's dangerous.
It's less dangerous when it's on your skin, but still annoying. You have to take a cold shower to get rid of it.
Ah, another random lake object. I wonder what it is this time.
Well, it's nothing all that special, really. It's some kind of marine battery electrode, according to the Reddit comments. Sigh, I really thought it was going to be something a lot cooler, but I guess you can't have it all.
