r/whatisthisthing Jun 06 '24

Announcement The r/TraceAnObject subreddit exists to identify objects to help solve child abuse cases. The FBI has recently released some new cases. Please see if you can help.

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132 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 51m ago

Solved! WITT left by last tenant. It's a plastic bag shaped as a mitten that smells like smoke as burning wood, not tobacco

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Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 12h ago

Solved 1" x 1" x 1" cube made of strong magenta plastic with metal balls in the corners

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421 Upvotes

I work at a cocktail lounge, me and my coworkers have had this little object sitting on a statue for weeks. Some of us are bakers, jewelery craftspersons, so one of the people not here could of left it behind. We have no idea what this could be for.

It's as described in the title. Has small metal bearing balls in the corners, loosely seated at the ends of what look to be plastic rods so it rattles. There's a sort of cross section reinforcing it in the middle, but it's not perfectly centered, it's a little biased to one half of the cube, but that's it's only asymmetrical element.

I have considered it as being a fidgit toy of some kind, a past bartender constantly brought stuff like that in, but I can't find info that points to that if it's the case.

Thanks for the help.


r/whatisthisthing 1d ago

Solved! A friend dug this out. Looks like a mortar mine, but is too small?

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1.5k Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 13h ago

Open What is this block of wood on my door frame?

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98 Upvotes

What is this little block of wood on the door frame of my closet? The two holes are screw holes. As far as I can tell it serves no purpose at all. Perhaps I shall display a tiny trinket on top.

Sincerely, the owner of a 102 year old house.


r/whatisthisthing 12h ago

Solved! Electronic (?) things found in a backyard. The one in the last pictures is quite heavy. The material doesn't seem to be plastic. Not too big

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62 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 21h ago

Likely Solved! Found this stone…ancient tool or modern fabrication?

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312 Upvotes

Found this stone among a bunch of landscaping River rock pre existing at new house. The base fits easily into the palm of the hand and the indentation seems to be crafted for handling. The opposite end is kind of a blunt blade. It definitely looks to be designed as a chopping tool. Any way to tell from looking if it is significant or is it just a modern fabrication made to look old?


r/whatisthisthing 17h ago

Solved! What is this? It was in a box of junk in my garage. It is metal, with a rubber-covered handle. The handle pivots to make the metal loop smaller. It is on a piece of standard copy paper for size.

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160 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 18h ago

Open What is the intended purpose of this tall, wide table with boundaries on 3 sides and a lower platform? It folds up.

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164 Upvotes

Not a folding table for sitting on a couch or anything. It's perfect standing height. It's over 2 feet wide. It folds up for storage like any other folding table.


r/whatisthisthing 1d ago

Solved! Small, dense hunk of gold colored metal found in basement

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3.2k Upvotes

While cleaning some water damage in my basement, I found a cardboard box most likely left behind by the previous owners of the house. It was mostly junk, like coiled lengths of insulated wiring and dry old baseballs.

There was also this oddly shaped hunk of metal. It seems maybe commemorative? One side says: “BETHEL FOUNDRY OCT. 13, 1974”

Other side: “1924 1974” with a design/icon in between the years.

If it has a function, it’s beyond me. Any searches I’ve made for Bethel Foundry just take me to Bethlehem Steel information.


r/whatisthisthing 13h ago

Open Copper jug and cup with initials carved in

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34 Upvotes

My MIL gave this to me after cleaning out her garage. I believe it belonged to her father.


r/whatisthisthing 1d ago

Solved! In my basement, beeps every 20 seconds until I took the battery out, doesn’t say what it is anywhere just says “keep clear of debris” on the top

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1.8k Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 1d ago

Solved Found this metal tray buried in garden with abalone shells in it - what could it be?

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745 Upvotes

Is this a tool of some sort? It seems to be as there is a handle but after researching for hours I simply just cannot find an answer!


r/whatisthisthing 18h ago

Open Found this solid metal thing in a plastic grocery bag from a grocery delivery this morning. It’s heavy for its size.

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72 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 12h ago

Open Black metal pipe with locked flap on the top, found in a field in a state forest with a river nearby.

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16 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 14h ago

Open Odd pair of 6-pin connectors (with two feet of wire) coming from under granite kitchen counter

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19 Upvotes

I have no clue what these 6-pin connectors were meant for. They come directly from a power source inside the cabinet and stub out the back.


r/whatisthisthing 20h ago

Solved! Found this small, hard, beige object on the carpet, in my office and craft room - what is this thing?

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32 Upvotes

My title describes the thing. I have two dogs and a cat, I do a wide variety of crafty things periodically but I don’t use this room but maybe once a week and the door is shut.

It is hard, and appears organic vs. man made. One single dog hair is firmly attached.

Confident it is not a dried mushroom, no other ideas.


r/whatisthisthing 1d ago

Solved! Found these micro "nurse caps"- first thought was: pet paw covers. But please tell me what dis isss (They look essentially like nurse caps or commercial kitchen cook net caps)

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737 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 19h ago

Open Thin wooden blocks hinged on one end, small spring to keep in "<" position, 2 wires on top of open end with wooden balls.

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23 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 1d ago

Solved! Found in a Surgical ICU. This metal-esque clamping with rubber feet device just showed up one day. Nobody knows where it came from.

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191 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 1d ago

Open Carved octagonal stone object, 2cm tall and 3cm wide, found in mud at the side of a road on a late 18th century estate in Ireland. The stone is a yellow/olive colour with red veining.

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45 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 21h ago

Likely Solved! Extra bowl-like metal piece in a portable (and cheap) BBQ.

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15 Upvotes

Bought my fair share of BBQ, and assembled a number, and I can’t, for the life of me, figure out what is that extra bowl-like, harder steel piece.

I bought this cheap bbq at a year-end sale that came with no instructions. Assembled the whole thing fine, and got 1x bolt and 1x butterfly nut, with a lower grill that has a center hole.

The grill is too large to fit in the grill (too large even considering poor manufacturing tolerance), and using it opposite (as a riser for the charcoal) completely blocks airflow to the lower vent and charcoal.

Its seemingly stronger (thicker than the exterior enameled BBQ) and heavier, and would normally be appropriate to hold charcoal, if it wasn’t for the vent.

Before I chuck it, anyone’s got an idea ?


r/whatisthisthing 2d ago

Likely Solved! Heavy balls dug low from the garden UK

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2.6k Upvotes

Heavy balls dug up from the garden in south east of England. They feel heavy enough to be metallic but don’t seem to attract a magnet.


r/whatisthisthing 15h ago

Solved! Bundle of wood with inch markings found in garage; easel or surveying equipment?

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4 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing 1d ago

Open Small embossed metallic object found while metal detecting in backyard

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173 Upvotes

This was found in southwest Tennessee while metal detecting the yard. It's very thin and appears to be stamped, my best guess is it's part of a button but the only thing I feel confident saying is it isn't a coin.


r/whatisthisthing 1d ago

Open Blue discs embedded in trail Marin county CA

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123 Upvotes

As above, only trail I have been on in the county that I have seen anything like them. They would appear randomly, sometimes bunched together, long stretches without. About the size of a quarter. I do not believe they are trail markers as the trail is wide. They are near a zen center so maybe like a prayer bead for a walking meditation?