Life

10 Fascinating Items That Perplex Observers With Their Form and Function

People have created a number of odd-looking but extremely useful gadgets over time.

But when you find them about the house, they don’t usually come with instruction manuals.


In an attempt to find out what an object was used for, several Reddit members posted pictures of items they had discovered. Thankfully, a lot of people on the internet are well-versed in gadgets.

Glass ball suspended within a metal frame

At first glance, the fragile glass ball hung in a gold metal frame appeared to be a decorative piece in a home office. However, it serves a larger purpose, as one Reddit user discovered.

Answer: One Reddit member provided detailed information regarding the instrument, which was a Cambell-Strokes sunlight recorder. As one commenter added:

“You insert a strip of card into one of the grooves in the piece that curves behind the sphere, point the opposite side of the sphere towards the equator, and the sphere will direct sunlight to burn a track on the card. The card had hours recorded on it, and the more the card is burned, the brighter the sunshine becomes.”

Round Wooden Stick.

One Reddit member posted an image of a long cylindrical wooden stick that was thicker at one end than the other. It did not appear to be a new device, which made the Reddit users think twice about guessing the item’s name and function.

Answer: The stick of wood was most likely used in conjunction with a Singing Bell to create vibration. According to the commentator, touching the cylindrical wood around its edge causes the bell to vibrate, similar to a wine glass.

ScoopyDoodad

Items that are no longer in use or can’t be recognized are frequently stored in the garage or, in the case of one Reddit user, in their junk drawer. The user had no idea what the light metal was for and received only a few comments from others who were as perplexed.

Finally, one individual accurately recognized the item as a Sunbeam Mixmaster attachment. Supposedly, the device should have been hooked to a mixer and used as the sprout from which the juice would stream.

Stout glass with bubbles.

A Reddit member discovered a heavy structure constructed of glass with ornamental bubbles inside. The item’s only inscription was the date 1978.

Answer: A commenter identified the device as a weight that prevents papers from flying off a desk. The year of manufacture must have been indicated on the inscription.

Vase With Metal Grills

Gardening experts would quickly recognize an object discovered at a Reddit user’s grandmother’s house. It was a glass bowl with metal grills within.

Answer: Several Reddit members recognized the object as a vase. They mentioned that it was used to arrange flowers. Many discovered the object in their grandmother’s house.

Mini-Blue Disc

A Reddit user discovered a little blue disc inside a bag of crisps with the words “ferrous 25mm BST, cert number 213026B.”

Answer: Although tough to guess, one Reddit user said it was a testing chip used to determine whether metal detectors worked.

Little Magnets

A Reddit member came up with an item at Goodwill that piqued his interest. She described it as a bunch of “little magnets inside [a tiny circular container] being forced together against their natural magnetic pull.”

Answer: A commenter correctly identified the heavy magnets as a shoplifter’s tag remover, which is utilized in the retail industry.

Retractable Metal Bracelet

A social media user revealed what looked to be a metal circular the size of a soda cap that could be folded into a bracelet. Puzzled, the individual sought the assistance of Reddit users to identify the item.

Answer: A swift member of the community identified the object as something that goes on top of a purse or little handbag.

Metal Circle.

An interested Redditor discovered a strange contraption in her parents’ kitchen and asked assistance from Reddit users to determine its purpose. The core of what looked to be a little white tong was a circular metal. “The hole gets smaller when I squeeze it,” the poster wrote.

Answer: The item’s purpose was to separate corn kernels from a cob. The round metal is the sharpened tool used to cut through the maze.

Long Tangled Metal.

A landlord uncovered a long, twisted, heavy metal in his basement that did not appear to be a useful object. The Reddit member who was curious about the object described it as a “scary wand”.

Leave a Comment