12 Objects With Curious Uses That Left People Absolutely Confused

Have you ever come across something that made you really puzzled? We’ve all experienced that. Our curious side just won’t quit until we figure out what it’s all about. But the times when we had to go to the library or ask an expert for answers are long gone. Thanks to the internet, we now have a bunch of online investigators ready to help. And let me tell you, they’ve revealed some amazing hidden truths about mystery finds.

1. “Silver-ish, finger-shaped item found in a drawer during a senior’s estate clean-out, with no related looking items.”

Answer: It’s to carry plastic shopping bags. We’ll probably not originally, but I bet it was made to easily carry bags, totes, or pull ropes or cords without injury.

2. ’’What’s this three-legged stool with a very narrow back, does it serve a specific purpose?’’

Answer: It’s a milking stool, 3-legged birthing style spinning chair. So basically, no special use.

3. ’’My mom found this in my dad’s drawer. Is it what I am afraid of?’’

Answer: The classic Sunbeam Mixmaster had a juicer attachment, a bowl that attached to the top of the mixer. This is the spout the juice would pour out of. The wire part held a little strainer to filter out pulp.

4. ’’I found this in an old cabinet, made entirely of glass with narrowing holes all the way through.’’

Answer: It’s a flower frog, used to hold a flower arrangement in a vase. Made obsolete by foam and gels.

5. ’’What’s this thick round wooden stick with a cylindrical structure on one end?’’

Answer: Possibly used with a Singing Bell. You rub the stick lightly around the edge and the bell starts vibrating. You might have seen the same effect with glasses.

6. “Is it some sort of a breastfeeding thing?”

Answer: Actually it’s for a cart (not a car seat) so when your baby is old enough they can sit in the cart without having to touch the germy handles. I have that exact one.

7. ’’I found this at nan’s house, it’s a glass vase with metal grill inside.’’

Answer: It’s for arranging cut flowers (a rose bowl).

8. ’’What’s this weird glass ball, suspended by screws, in a metal frame, bronze or gold color in appearance?’’

Answer: It is a Campbell-Stokes sunshine recorder. You place a strip of card into one set of grooves in the piece that curves behind the sphere, point the opposite side of the sphere towards the equator, and the sphere will focus the sunlight to burn a track on the card. The card has hours marked, and more the card is burnt, the brighter the sunlight was.

9. ’’Does anyone know what the purpose of the little hole on the back of this empty gold ring is?’’

Answer: The reason it has a hole is to prevent air pressure changes from damaging the ring.

10. ’’I found this stainless-steel object when cleaning out a lab space. Has an “H” in a diamond stamp.’’

Answer: It’s a glass tube cutter! I used it many times in chemistry lab.

11. ’’This ring was buried in my garden. After cleaning it, I saw that it doesn’t look like an ordinary ring. Any ideas?’’

Answer: This is heartbreaking. The ring is worn as a mourning ring. It’s a Georgian/early Victorian ring whose initials belong to the lost loved one. They were typically made from gold (18k+) and enameled in black. It looks like yours was made around the 1820s-40s.

12. “Found this rubber thing in my kitchen. I know it looks like something... But pretty sure it isn’t. What is this thing?”

Answer: It holds a set of measuring cups or spoons (I forget which). Shows up here frequently. Probably in the FAT.

Looking for another thrilling roundup of mysterious discoveries? Then this article is one you won’t want to miss!