What is this thing: the strangest finds. Issue 174

We regularly come across things that we cannot immediately identify. All these incomprehensible things excite the imagination and torment you with doubts, but here, as always, experts from the network come to the rescue, who easily and quickly solve all the riddles.

“When I arrived home, I found this device attached to my front door and closing the lock. What is this and what should I do?





It was an anti-lock device that allowed the locks to be removed.

“Found this sewn into my work T-shirt.”



This is an RFID tracking chip for dry cleaning.

“I found this egg on the beach. It floated in the water and was very hard to the touch. And it also says “Maxer” on it.”



This is an egg replacer. My chickens lay eggs, my wife takes one of these surrogates, carefully replaces it with a regular egg and takes it to the incubator. This way the hen thinks she is sitting on the egg without having to worry about damaging the real egg.

“Metal shards inside the shower head in the house I'm renting. What are they and why are they there?



Surely the pipes are soldered from copper plumbing. And if you overheat these pipes during soldering, things like this can form inside. Definitely a sign of improper soldering.

“This heavy thing, like a drop, has wheels spinning, and the black thing doesn’t know why at all.”



This is part of a weighted hula hoop.

“A colleague found it in an antique store. Wooden device. Maybe to measure something or stretch it?”



This device is fixed inside the brim block of the hat and holds the material tightly while it is steamed. Sizing is a safety measure to ensure you don't stretch the hat too much and break the visors.

“What are these things? They are cast iron, I found them in this form"



I am a farmer and I can answer: these are teeth from a tractor bucket.

“Leather strap with 2 cup-shaped ends, probably lead. Found in a 16th century English farmhouse."



This is a special thing for cattle horns. They are needed so that they grow in the right direction.

“Someone threw it in our garden. A pink plasticine-like thing with a metal object inside. What is this?"



This is a lead or tungsten weight (for fishing) wrapped in a special putty.

“I was given this small silver object as a pre-wedding gift without any explanation. There are small lines engraved on it."



This is a traditional miniature wedding vase made of silver. The noses symbolize husband and wife, and the patterns represent the couple's journey.

“What kind of plate is this? There is a handle attached to the top and a very small cup in the middle. I've never seen anything like this before."



This is for carrying a candle. Thanks to this thing, there is no wax on the floor.

“What kind of spoon is this with a tongs-shaped attachment? Saw it in an antique store in France"



This is a spoon designed to separate the fat from the gravy, and it is called cuillère dégraisseuse. You scoop the gravy, hold the spoon over the succulent meat and press the spring. The "good juices" flow out through the hole until you release the tension.

“My old jacket has a smooth, somewhat flexible, plastic-looking object sewn into the shoulder of the right sleeve. What it is?"



This is a special radar for rescue services in case of avalanches.