15+ People Who Lost Sleep Trying to Solve the Mystery of the Objects They Found

Throughout history, humankind has created many devices. And they are so diverse that we can barely figure out the purpose of some of them. But even in the most difficult situations, we can turn to Internet users for help because they seem to have the knowledge to solve any mystery.

At Now I’ve Seen Everything, we put together some really mysterious objects we’d never heard of before. In the bonus section, you’ll find a photo that puzzled everyone.

“I found this on a hike in the Highlands in Scotland.”

Answer: These are fire beaters used to extinguish small fires.

“It’s made of plastic, but the red part is just plain weaved fabric. I have no idea how it works or what it’s supposed to do.”

Answer: It’s used for taking lint off your clothes.

“I bought this thing last weekend for $2. The blade doesn’t fill the gap made by the weird angle of the body.”

Answer: It’s a chamfer spokeshave plane for woodworking.

“When you crank it, it lifts the pan about 1/2 inch then drops it back down. What is it?”

Answer: It’s a liquid limit device that is used to determine the moisture content at which clay soils pass from a plastic to a liquid state.

“I stayed at a hotel and noticed that there’s a metal inlay on the hotel room shelf. What is it for?”

Answer: It’s for dropping your keys off when you walk in the front door. It’s more durable than just wood.

“I found this in a washroom in London. What is this thing in the middle?”

Answer: It’s a vintage soap dispenser.

“I found this at a thrift store in the kitchen section. It’s something to do with baking, and that’s all I know.”

Answer: It’s a pastry cutter.

“I saw it at an estate sale.”

Answer: It’s a vintage clock but without a clock face.

“What type of spoon is this? It has to have a name, right?”

Answer: It’s a “proper” cream soup spoon.

“What is this wooden box that resembles a telephone? I bought it in the UK, and the seller didn’t know what it was.”

Answer: It’s a primitive tinderbox that was used to help kindle a fire.

“I saw this funny-shaped case at the airport.”

Answer: This is a hat case.

“It looks like a safety pin on the top, but I have no idea what the others are.”

Answer: These are collar pins.

“I’m sitting at a restaurant in Tokyo, and they brought me this fork. What is it for?”

Answer: It’s for pulling lumps of food off skewers.

Do you have any idea what it is?

Answer: It’s a sipping cup for mineral water for which Karlovy Vary is rather famous.

“I found it in an antique shop for $1. It’s made of wood.”

Answer: It’s a darning egg with storage for some thread.

“I found a spoon-shaped implement with a strainer on one end and a mouthpiece on the other. What is it for?”

Answer: It’s a bombilla, a type of drinking straw used to drink mate.

“I found this plugged into the wall at my Airbnb. It turns out it’s a night light.”

Answer: The thing that looks like a camera is a photosensor.

“I found this under my passenger seat.”

Answer: This is a GPS tracker.

• My boss found one on his truck — his wife tried to catch him up. © donthepunk / Reddit

Bonus: When even Internet users couldn’t find the answer

• “A waitress just brought a small fork with my mom’s coffee. It doesn’t even match the rest of the forks. What does this mean?”

These mysterious objects were found by ordinary people who were curious enough to ask other Internet users to help them find the answers. At Now I’ve Seen Everything, we also love to solve mysteries, so we would appreciate it if you shared the photos of your unusual finds in the comments below. We’ll be happy to use them in our new articles.