"It used to be used in World War 1 but we’ve got no clue what it was meant for"
A: "It’s a curette, a medical instrument used for scraping away tissue (for example removing certain skin lesions, removing dead tissue from a wound)."
"Found coming out of a small hill. Water alternates between either side, going down each step."
A: "I believe this is the Lyon Creek – Cedar Way Stormwater Detention Dam. I contacted an engineer with the city because I was so curious about whether it was a fish ladder or not. They just got back to me and confirmed it is a fish ladder. They also sent an operation manual that includes some history and descriptions, very interesting."
"Small, heavy metal cylinder found in jewelry drawer"
A: "I suspect it’s a press stud tool for poppers and metal buttons. It’d either be used in a press or hit with a mallet."
"What is this weird, hard thing inside my cara cara orange?"
A: "The navel in navel oranges is actually another baby orange that’s been overrun by its larger brother. Sometimes the runt orange grows strangely as the two oranges grow together."
"Two small metal objects, found in southwestern PA via metal-detector. Not heavy, nearly the weight of a quarter. Initial guesses are gun-sights or hair/paper clips. Quarter for reference."
A: "They look like reeds for an accordion or concertina"
"Hanging polythene bags filled with some liquid."
A: "It’s an old wives take to keep flies away. The bags should a penny or similar coin inside. It apparently doesn’t work too well."
"Found in Storage on Snowmobile. Black plastic and under 10” in diameter"
A: "It goes with a jetboil, it makes the fuel tank stand securely"
"My grandpa had these pieces of metal in a bag, what are they?"
A: "Looks like turbine blade parts to me."
"What’s the purpose of this component, mounted on the main water line of a house, after the water meter?"
A: "It’s a pressure regulator. It’s a valve that reduces the water pressure, so you don’t get full mains pressure out of your taps."
"I found dozens of these washed up on the beach in south-east England."
A: "It’s called a ‘sea wash ball’ which is a bunch of whelk egg casings"
"Found at an estate sale. Most of the other items at same sale where dated from 1950s to 80s. Measures 9″ x 4″"
A: "It has the hole design of a Cribbage board."
"Ornate carved wooden tube containers? Not sturdy enough for umbrellas."
A: "A brush pot… is a container for holding the brushes used by scribes for Chinese calligraphy."
"Kitchen item? Plastic, each about 300g in weight, insert slides freely in and out of the container, brand(?) on handle is “kidslabel” (have googled to no avail), made in China"
A: "It’s a pen holder for your desk and was probably sold at a cheap goods shop in Japan like “Can Do”."
"Found this in my bits and pieces box and am stumped. Second picture has scale. End is fairly sharp."
A: "Looks like a soldering iron tip, an oldish one."
"Found this is a jewelry box. Badge is from before the 60’s."
A: "It’s a Scouts imp tie clip to do with the Brownies/Guides in the UK"
"Little ring-shaped spots of something growing[?] on expired Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups."
A: "Quite possibly “fat bloom” which is fat from the cocoa butter migrating to the surface of the chocolate. Can happen as chocolate ages or with a change in temperature.
"WITT found in an old barn with a bunch of Christian religious items in Nova Scotia, Canada? The lid inside holds a mirror and snaps closed to the rim of the bag. The bag appears to be burlap inside and a different material on the outside, is blue inside and has no smell."
A: "The mirror, and style of metal top with fabric bag attached, would suggest it’s a lady’s reticule (a tiny handbag popular in the 19th-early 20th century)."
"About the size of my hand. Found in the trash. (I’m a trash man). Any ideas?"
A: "Laser cut “perpetual” calendar."
"Plastic panels & tubes in a creek near a beaver damn"
A: "Plastic panels & tubes in a creek near a beaver damn"
"What are these arched cage- like things on the stained glass windows of this church?"
A: "A piece of the window pivots open within that cage, it probably just keeps birds out."
"What are these these blue, yellow, red, and green spools on the power lines?"
A: "It is the Spider system for pulling new power lines."
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"They're oil absorbing pads and since oil floats on water the tube is there to stop the oil from flowing while letting the water pass under it"
I had to visit reddit to look it up... I feel dirty.