18 Unusual Items People Found That Bring Up Multiple Question Marks

With the technological evolution of the past century, we have been gifted with tools and gadgets that make our lives super easy. That’s why it’s sometimes hard to think about how people used to do simple things back in the day, such as crushing ice. Thankfully, many people still have (or found) such tools and shared them with the world.

Now I’ve Seen Everything discovered 18 kitchen tools and gadgets that look quite mysterious, but have a very specific purpose.

1. “Found this plastic open/close case with a rubbery triangle. It says ’Safety Shield’ on it.”

Answer: It’s a pill splitter.

2. “Heavy, metal, found in a collection of old kitchen things, help me out on the larger piece.”

Answer: It’s a nutcracker. You crack the walnuts or pecans with the V-shaped part and use the picks to get the nuts out of the shell.

3. “What is this tool that came in my assorted kitchen bundle?”

Answer: A fish scale remover.

4. “Found this in a kitchen utensil box at a thrift store. Any idea what this oddly beautiful object is for?”

Answer: It’s for grilling on a BBQ or fire. The food goes inside and can then be turned easily by flipping the whole thing over.

5. “What is this insert that is the exact size of the bottom of my kitchen sink with a cutout that appears to be for the faucet?”

Answer: It’s probably just the part of the countertop that they cut out when they installed the sink. They probably kept it so that you could take it to the store for color matching if you go to add a backsplash or something.

6. “This was found in a kitchen, it has a wooden handle and a heavy metal end with no markings, it’s about 6 inches long.”

Answer: A hammer crown capper.

7. “Metal utensil found in kitchen drawer”

Answer: It’s a flour duster.

8. “Strange tool found in our Airbnb kitchen — pressing buttons on the sides ’opens’ it. What is this used for?”

Answer: It’s a detachable handle for a Tefal oven-proof range of kitchen pans.

9. “This has a wooden handle and a metal top with 5 sharp pointy tips, and is about 8 1/2 inches long. What is it?”

Answer: It can also be used as an ice pick for big blocks of ice that went into an icebox before refrigeration was common. I think that was the primary purpose.

10. “3 sizes of flat metal pieces with punched hooks on one side, probably stainless steel. Found in a kitchen drawer.”

Answer: They are turkey plates. You stuff your turkey, then put the plate in at the opening. The cutouts are to catch the skin, which holds the plate in place. My mother got a set for her wedding in 1957, and we used them every Thanksgiving.

11. “Found in the kitchen. The 2 pieces can be separated.”

Answer: Ice crusher

12. “A black and red rubber/plastic thing found in my kitchen drawer.”

Answer: It’s a water filter filling primer disc.

13. “Art nouveau style hook made of silver.”

Answer: Maybe a boot button hook. Used to hook all those tiny buttons on ladies boots. Just a guess on my part.

14. “What is this small (4.5-inch) solid plastic tool I found in our old family cottage’s kitchen drawer?”

Answer: It’s a pumpkin carving scoop. The indent is for a kid’s thumb.

15. “Found in my grandmother’s silverware drawer — any idea what it is?”

Answer: It’s an antique cheese scoop by the looks of it.

16. “A metal bar cage that opens and closes, found in the kitchen during Thanksgiving. No idea what it is.”

Answer: It’s a stuffing cage.

17. “The turquoise part spins and that opens and closes the metal triangles. Some Japanese writing I think in symbol.”

Answer: Direct translation is “flower type egg cut.”

18. “They are serrated, some kind of kitchen utensil?”

Answer: Tomato slicer

Do you happen to have any unusual and mysterious kitchen gadgets that most people have no idea what they are used for?