“What Is This Thing?” — 25 Times People Asked The Internet To Identify Mysterious Objects This Week
Sometimes you stumble on a random object that looks like it fell out of a time machine or a hardware store run by a mad scientist, and naturally, the only thing to do is ask the internet, “Uh… what is this thing?” And like always, the internet delivers with confidence that is both impressive and mildly concerning.
This week’s collection from r/WhatIsThisThing on Reddit brings together all kinds of mysterious finds, from forgotten tools to weird household scraps to a few items that probably should not exist but absolutely do.
1. “Found these very small things spread randomly on my floor.”
Answer:
-indo- (OP):
Solved! False alarm! Stupid grippers on my cheap Old Navy slippers. Thanks for everyone’s help.
Late-Junket-5056:
Cheap stuff always breaks at the worst times lol
2. “Fake cigarette in a little holder, mostly hollow, comes apart into 3 pieces. the white bit is hard plastic, the “filter” is wrapped in a more rubbery material”
“Found this going through some of my grandfather’s stuff. He’s 86 and a former smoker.
Curious whether it has some hidden purpose? Can’t really imagine even an obvious purpose to having a fake cigarette.”
Answer:
soThatIsHisName:
https://quitsmart.com/product/quit-smart-cigarette-substitute/
Looks very similar. The hole on the inside there restricts the airflow, to feel more authentic.
Dramatic_Fuel6583 (OP):
Solved! That was quick thank you
chadork:
I just used a rolled up piece of paper to get that sensation. Smoke free for about 6 years now
Dramatic_Fuel6583 (OP):
Solved!
3. “Two red clip-shaped pieces of hard inflexible plastic”
“Unfortunately they’ve been on my desk for several months whilst I hoped the answer would come to me, and as such I can’t remember exactly where in the house I found them. They are light, with no branding, markings or text. The sort of hook shape of the back (?) of them suggests to me they might be some kind of clip meant to run along the edge of something but goodness knows what.”
Answer:
They are clips used to fasten a litter tray together when not in use.
snownative86:
They also look very similar to the clips that came with our bird cage. They held the bottom tray to the cage.
mattlenoz (OP):
This — and I should give credit to u/enduir too for a similar threaded comment that preceded yours — is very interesting. No pet cages at all but I’m checking on Amazon for the litter tray we have for when I occasionally borrow my brother’s cat. I remember it had an optional swinging door you could attach that we chose not to attach…
…ok, so nothing to do with the door, but here we go! They are for clipping the darn thing together when not being used. SOLVED!
4. “Found this underneath my car in my driveway. Car still drives fine. Long, silver metallic tube with a screw in one end and a crank looking thing on the other. Weighs about 13 oz.”
Answer:
cottontail976:
It’s a closer for a screen door.
spoung45:
Its a dingle hoper! I can confirm that this is what this is.
bungocheese:
It’s a damper from a storm door, based on the condition it likely was thrown away and fell out of a garbage truck or something.
deadfeather19 (OP):
Solved!
5. “Found multiple metal pins set into the ground on a Barcelona street — what are they?”
“I found several of these metal studs/bolts protruding from the ground along Carrer Bertran and Carrer Musitu in Barcelona. They’re set into the pavement with some kind of mortar or resin around them, and each one has a number written next to it (e.g., ‘13217’, ‘13218’). The metal piece is a small cylindrical pin, rounded at the top, and seems firmly embedded.
They look like permanent anchor points, but I’m not sure what they’re intended for. Any help identifying them would be appreciated!”
Answer:
trekkerscout:
Those are termite/pest treatment injection ports. The top portion of the rod is actually a removable cap to protect the port. Pesticides are injected into the ports surrounding the building to provide a barrier to termite and pest entry.
TotalCrazy308 (OP):
Solved!
Thank you!
6. “A hard-ish plastic container/bag with a bit of soft cotton inside? It’s sealed shut. Found in a drawer, no idea where it came from. Can’t decipher the company (?) name – WHW? WAHW?? MHM?”
Answer:
shiro_eugenie:
Looks like a filling sample that usually comes with winter jackets.
YourFaajhaa:
This. I had this attached in my winter jacket.
KurohNeko (OP):
Solved!
7. “Hollow ellipsoid made of thick blue glass with shallow (~1/8″ deep) indentation along exterior axis. Roughly 3″ tall and 2″ wide at base. NOT a card or paper stand.”
Answer:
joeshmo101:
Oh wow I get to be the one that answers for once!
You can trust your Google-fu, this is in fact a candle holder! The glass is for a tea light candle, and it sits on a base that’s made of wire. The top of the wire is a U shape to hold on to the pointy end of the glass. I’ll take a picture of mine and post in a reply to this comment.
birdsbirdsbirdsbirdsbirds (OP):
Well I’ll be. You’re a hero! Thank you SO much. I’ll mark this as solved. You made my family’s day!!
8. “What is this little blue rubber brush? It came in a self care beauty advent calendar alongside a face mask”
Answer:
WalkerInDarkness:
It’s a face scrubber to remove the dead skin off your face. It’s gentle enough it won’t damage the living skin but it will gently remove the dead. You generally use it as part of washing your face.
MadGeckoLady (OP):
Solved!
9. “Round silvery knob – ‘SweetWater’ on front, with screen and tube on back”
“Item is round, approximately 1 inch / 3 cm in diameter, and clad in aluminum or stainless steel. Front has a molded ‘SweetWater’ logo in the center and a small ‘PAT PEND’ mark at the rim. Reverse has the crimping from the obverse sheet metal, plus a portion of metal screen and a short, black, plastic port like for liquid intake. See the four pictures.
Found while helping an elderly relative sort through miscellaneous stuff (in the Mid-Atlantic region of the eastern United States), and I bragged about how this subreddit comes through with the most amazing information.
So, please help: What Is This Thing??”
Answer:
Barrettshard:
It’s the filter at the end of a water filtration system for camping.
RedMongoose573 (OP):
Solved!
Apparently my gadget is the prefilter that goes on the end of the black intake tube. Presumably it filters out twigs and rocks, to protect the rest of the system. In the picture above, the prefilter is in a black plastic spoke-like holder; there’s a better view at:
https://goinggear.com/products/msr-sweetwater-prefilter
Either my gadget is so old it didn’t have the plastic holder, or the holder got lost. The SweetWater system has been discontinued, although MSR continues to make at least one other backcountry handheld water filter system.
I have absolutely no idea how this thing got into the costume jewelry drawer of the elderly relative. But I will have a good time telling them what it is and bragging again about this subreddit’s amazing powers.
Thanks a lot, gurus of r/whatisthisthing!
10. “Small, tan, rectangular (plastic?) block in our fully fenced backyard. Slightly concave on 2 of the long sides. Looks like soap or processed beeswax but is much harder.”
“Our dog was chewing on this in our fully-fenced backyard. Really, really hoping it’s not poisonous.”
Answer:
Mael_Coluim_III:
https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Cheese-Himalayan-Chews-Breeds/dp/B0CS2ZZWHT
cyclika:
Definitely a yak cheese chew, intended for dogs so just fine to give it back. If you break off a hunk, soak it in water, and put it in the microwave for thirty seconds it will puff up like a cheese ball and smell like… I was hoping the smell would be a clinching identifying feature but now I’m not sure how to describe the smell. Savory? Not quite meat, not quite dairy.
penelopepage (OP):
I really want to believe this is a yak chew, but it has no scent at all. I’m also a little scared to put it in the microwave, but I will do it for science if necessary.
penelopepage (OP):
SOLVED. I faced my fears and microwaved it and it puffed up. Still have no idea how this ended up in our backyard. Thank you, brilliant strangers!
11. “What’s this corrugated plastic object secured to a tree I found on state forest land?”
“Title describes the object. Mounted to a tree well off trail on public land. About 8” tall and no markings or evidence of it being electronic. Bottom part is secured with wing nuts. I’ve searched for invasive insect traps but no results match this object.”
Answer:
haveing_a_accident:
That is a weather station – specifically, the solar shield around what’s probably a temp and humidity sensor.
RunawayTrey (OP):
Solved!
RunawayTrey (OP):
Thanks, I’ll have to try to find out where the data is displayed.
Dub_stebbz:
It very likely is not displayed locally on the unit. Probably sends the data to a server somewhere for storage if I had to guess.
12. “A cup and an articulated hook, maybe brass, kinda heavyweight. I first thought it was however used for candles, but I can’t see any trace of wax.”
“Found in the South of France if it helps. I have no other context.”
Answer:
Friedrich_August:
This is an old tallow miner’s lamp, European in origin. If it is real it’s from around the 1700–1800s, but they are also often faked.
_n3ll_:
What’s the poker thing attached to the handle for?
flung_lung_butter:
To hang it while keeping it far enough away from what you’re hanging it from so it doesn’t catch fire and keeping it level so the liquid doesn’t spill.
BigAndSmallAre:
The part about the liquid was why I briefly thought it was a Turkish coffee carrier. They also work using a centered “hinge” to balance a liquid while walking.
13. “Soft touch plastic ring with metal plate with slit”
Answer:
OakTreader:
It’s the locking mechanism for tongs. I have some at home. It’s integrated into the hinge. You pinch the tongs shut, and then pull this outward, locking them.
I_am_Bine (OP):
Solved! Thank you guys. Now my mom remembers that she has one of those tongs somewhere. You have her and my thanks!
14. “S-shape ceramic vessel/container. 20cm long and 4cm tall, floral pattern and ‘STUDIO CERAMIC’ stamped on the base.”
“Found in a charity shop in England, listed as ‘Bric-a-brac’ but we can’t figure out what it’s meant to hold!
It’s about 20cm long and 4cm tall. The ‘mouth’ is narrower than the base, so it seems like anything put inside would get stuck.
‘STUDIO CERAMIC’ stamped on the bottom.”
Answer:
mid-random:
It’s called a trough vase or posy vase.
https://www.remued.com/shape_trough,%20ring.html
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/236097881877
LizzbaWest (OP):
Solved! This looks exactly like it – thank you! Although I can’t imagine what flowers will go inside…
15. “Small level appears to be designed to plug into something?”
Answer:
lonelybluey:
Looks like a TV mounting level from brand Barkan Mounts. The company logo checks out.
tracydjman (OP):
Solved! Logo checks out, this makes the most sense to me!
16. “Chrome spiral, spring like object on desk”
Answer:
3-cent-nickel:
Letter holder
jeremyxt:
I’d put letters in it that need to be read or mailed.
xTH3xCHAIN3DxW0MANx (OP):
Mystery solved, & thank you for the quick response!
17. “I got this small round foam roll in my gym advent calander its about 6 cm in diameter and about inch deep. It comes with a lanyard attached”
Answer:
mcarneybsa:
It’s a door jamb holder for resistance bands. You slide it under/over/in the door, close the door, and attach the bands to the loop end. The foam block prevents it from slipping through.
After_Glow__ (OP):
Solved
hugesteamingpile:
Doesn’t stop someone from opening the door, unfortunately.
18. “China with cover but hole on the bottom .”
“About as tall as my coffee mug, but I’m puzzled by the hole on the bottom.”
Answer:
Helpful-Fruit-1404:
For condensed milk, which goes in there still in the can, and the hole is to allow you to push the can up to remove it afterwards.
seeeasick:
My grandpa was an antique collector and had SO many of these things. I miss him and all of the old things in his collection.
Throwthatfboatow:
What an interesting read. And now the trend is back with influencers decanting their pantry into aesthetic organizers.
toplingonberry699:
This is same product. Product description: J&C Louise Bavaria Hand Painted Jelly/Condensed Milk Container, vintage tea party/dinnerware, wedding, bridal shower, condensed milk holder.
NorthsideM (OP):
Solved, thanks!!
19. “Fabric thing on my sidewalk every couple weeks (light weight, 5 inches long, found on sidewalk)”
“These show up on the sidewalk outside my house maybe once a week. They have a fair amount of wear on them. I recently noticed another one in my neighborhood on a sidewalk in front of another house. I live in Northern California and there is a lot of food, bike, and car traffic that goes by my house.”
Answer:
Barbuma:
Casing/sheath off of old electric wires.
Sh0toku:
This is it! I work for a power company, we have replaced most of our wires that had the old cloth insulation by now.
Significant_Guitar_4 (OP):
Solved! I’ll have to look up at them tomorrow.
20. “I found this kit of some kind at the thrift store. It’s a hinged wooden case with a thermometer, metal ring, and two tools inside of it. It’s missing one piece. What is it for and what is the missing piece?”
Answer:
jackrats:
Wine set. Pourer, stopper, thermometer and drip ring.
saltierthangoldfish (OP):
Well that was easy! If I drank I might’ve recognized it. Solved! Thank you!
zungozeng:
It’s missing the corkscrew, that would’ve gave it away!
21. “A mast with multiple cameras attached, but two random blue, 10l drums feeding into a small off white container attached to each.”
“Where I come from camera posts are commonplace, but this the first time I have noticed one with these drums attached. What purpose are the drums serving?”
Answer:
Top-ST:
Seen them before, settled for the explanation that it is a wiper fluid.
mid-random:
Yes, part of systems like these:
https://www.pelco.com/videotec
https://www.pelco.com/fs/documents/Accessories/pelco-maximus-mhx-maximus-mhxt-installation-manual-en.pdf
https://www.pelco.com/fs/documents/Accessories/pelco-hgv-extra-large-sized-camera-housing-specification-sheet-en.pdf
FeckOffCapitalism (OP):
Sounds like the most likely reason
Dirty_Power:
You can see the hoses for the spray nozzles going to each camera.
_Maybe368:
Yep. Old-style cameras still use sprays and even wipers to clean the glass front of the enclosure.
More modern domes use hydrophobic coatings on the “glass” which is more often a plastic.
22. “White sticks, a few inches long, poking up out of the road in the middle of each lane at an intersection that appeared after construction about a year or two ago.”
Answer:
snownative86:
Looks like loose backer rod. When those concrete cuts are sealed, you shove backer rod in them and then caulk over them. There is also a product called Crack Stix that are essentially both backer rod and caulk in one.
Edit – grammar
Swimming_Factor2415 (OP):
I guess it could be, but I’m looking that up on google images and not seeing anyone using it sticking straight up.
Infamous_War7182:
It’s just leftover that didn’t get cut back. Lazy install.
Swimming_Factor2415 (OP):
Sounds like how construction in my town usually goes.
Solved!
23. “Found in a junk drawer: Thin metal wires and plastic things go together to fix something.”
Answer:
ChrisC1234:
Ooh, I know. Those are attachments that go onto a flexible camera that can be put into tight spaces. Something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Endoscope-Teslong-Borescope-Inspection-Waterproof/dp/B0CF1VCDBD?th=1
uwfan893 (OP):
Solved!
24. “Small clip-on thingy with a threaded part and a key chain. The spring is very strong. Came with a new cordless tyre inflator.”
Answer:
wimsey1923:
It’s an adapter for different kinds of valves. The clamp probably holds it onto a Dunlop valve.
yavinmoon (OP):
Solved!
oynsy:
The same one came with my Makita tyre inflator.
25. “26 inch long heavy metal pin found in the county park maintenance shop”
Answer:
no_work_throwaway:
It’s a connecting pin for plastic traffic barricades.
anonymouslosername:
Thinking this is it… looks a little flimsy for a 5th wheel, imo.
uncle_rob (OP):
Solved! We have some of these barriers in one of our barns. Thank you kindly, stranger.