21 Odd Items With Simple Explanations.
Nathan Johnson
Published
01/06/2022
What the heck is that?
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1.
What are these lights that appear to be behind the mirror in the hotel I’m staying at? A: It’s likely supposed to be an “infinity mirror” you lay a one way mirror over a standard one and put the LED’s between the layer giving it a tunnel appearance. The missing side could be a bad strip of LED’s -
2.
What is this ice phenomenon I found on the forest floor today? A: The term for it is frost flower and has to do with moisture freezing as it escapes plant tissue. -
3.
This 1.5 foot by about 3 foot cubby in my friends new bedroom. A: It looks like a nook for animals. Possibly a dog bed or litter box. -
4.
A putty type substance found inside a dehumidifier. It doesn’t seem to have any purpose that I can think of since it’s inside a plastic bag which is inside a plastic box with no visible pipes or vents attached to it. It doesn’t have any smell but it’s oily like glazing putty. A: It’s foam. Possibly for sound deadening so the compressor isn’t as noticeable. Bagged expanding foam is common for applications where you want to fill a space but don’t want the foam to make contact with what’s in the space. It’s more commonly used in packaging of odd shaped items, but can be used in other applications seen here. -
5.
An old wooden box with wooden planks with silver plates inside, anyone an idea? A: It’s typically used for incense in Saudi households. -
6.
Three story wooden structure on top of remote BC mountain. A: It appears to be a mine shaft -
7.
What is this strange shed with a body shaped table and a mineshaft? Seen in a farm field in Vermont A: Definitely looks like a farm ice house to me. Late 19th early more likely early 20th century by the looks of it due to the roof shape and condition of the loading table. -
8.
Pottery shard unable to read all words other then “not to” seems very old. Found on Dominion Beach, Nova Scotia, Canada. A: The text doesn’t quite line up in the same way, so it’s not identical, but it appears to be a “vitreous stone” ink bottle from J. Bourne, “warranted not to absorb” -
9.
I found this with my grandpa’s tools. The metal tips turns and pops out a bit, but I can’t separate it from the wooden body. A: I had something that looked just like this but was smaller and it was a bird call. The noise was made when the metal rubbed against the wood. -
10.
What is this box with dials, switches, and no labels whatsoever? Wooden box, covered in a grey leatherette/tolex material, found with no labels or information at an antique store in Atlanta, GA. A: It’s likely a box from an escape room. -
11.
What is this conical metal thing next to the door? Found in southern England A: It’s a large scale candle snuffer -
12.
Found this with other fireplace tools in a house I bought. Smells vaguely of asphalt. What is it? A: A Cape cod firestarter -
13.
What is this velvet sack full of small, gold, metallic plates with an frost texture? A: They are replica coins from the original (1970s) “Battlestar Galactica”. The characters wagered on space poker (“Pyramid”) with these coins (“cubits”) on the show. -
14.
Found in our basement, completely wooden except for a metal tip at the bottom of it. My grandparents were farmers / carpenters. The top wrench can be tightened completely A: That looks like a sewing pony. You put two leather pieces together and it provides a solid and stable hand for an even saddle stitch. -
15.
Wooden house with lots of drawers A: It’s a kamidana, a home shinto shrine. Very valuable and a bit religiously touchy to be having, selling or whatever. The spirits of a families loved ones inhabit it. -
16.
What is this loop inside my coat, next to where the sleeve is? A: It’s for the belt. -
17.
Heavy metal object made up of several plates bolted together on a wooden handle. Some markings on either side including what we think is the letters ‘C’ and a large ‘W’. A: It’s a type of bush hammer used in stone work. -
18.
What is the meaning of these characters on the vintage clock face? A: It says “use the time” in Swedish. I’m sure the hands point to times where numbers would be otherwise, but the letters are just there as a decorative saying. Kind of like people having signs in their house that say things like “laugh often, love much” etc. -
19.
What is this 25 pound magnetic metal block stamped with “city of seattle” for? A: It’s for weighted curtains in a theater. -
20.
This little brass thing was in my family for generations. Its around 5 cm big. It is probably made from brass. All of the old folks passed away and no one knows anymore what it is. My family is polish. A: It’s an elephant claw bell. The story was that as long as you ring the bell, there would be no elephants around. It worked, too. Or ten year old me believed it did. I don’t know when or why she got it. -
21.
Structure that looks like a furnace or oven. Plus triangle in a circle . in Suffolk VA. A: It‘s the remains of a communal bread oven from the last century, belonging to the Jewish community surrounding it.
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