What's That Thing: The Strangest Finds. Issue 220

Here is a new episode of our irregular column "Explain to me what this thing is". It's been a while since we had a new selection. So let's quickly see what new stuff we've brought for the internet experts to identify.

1. A solid wooden structure that looks like a hammer of an unusual shape





A shilehla or blacktarn is a famous Irish club made of blackthorn or oak, about a meter long. Not just a weapon, but a part of the national culture - they fought with it, trained with it, and even demonstrated their prowess in traditional battles.

2. A large silver spoon with a hole, dating back to the 1930s



An egg scoop, which is convenient for carefully dipping eggs into and out of boiling water.

3. Mysterious brackets on cabinet doors in a century-old house



At the beginning of the last century, such elements were used to attach hangers, shelves or even mirrors - a practical solution with a special vintage charm, which made the door an additional useful storage area.



4. Small round metal objects on a thick textile elastic band



This trainer is used for training dogs - the so-called aversive training method. When a dog tries to pick up something forbidden - food or something from the floor, then this object is thrown nearby - this distracts the dog and interrupts the unwanted action.

5. A light plastic thing - clearly a kitchen utensil



It turned out that this is a wine aerator - a special device for "airing" red wine. The strainer retains the sediment, and the aerator itself helps saturate the drink with oxygen, revealing its taste and aroma.

6. A Swiss Army Knife-like tool with strange blades



A flim, also flem, fly, flue, flame, or flern, was a hand-held instrument used for bloodletting.

7. A huge metal unit near the store



Alligator press shears are designed for metal work. They have a characteristic feature - an open mouth, which is similar to the mouth of an alligator. For which, in fact, they got their name. Such equipment is used for cutting long blanks, beams, reinforcement, profiles in metalworking shops and in production.

8. Metal spikes and rings embedded in the city wall



These structures are known as ferro - a functional element made of wrought iron on the facades of Italian buildings. Ferro is a common feature of medieval and Renaissance architecture in Lazio, Tuscany and Umbria. The ring was installed at a height of about 1.5 meters from the ground and was used to tether horses, and the peaks are holders for standards and torches. They were located higher on the facade and at the corners of the building.

9. A light metal device resembling tongs



This is a holder for cutting lemons and tomatoes.



10. A thing that resembles a flat marker or felt-tip pen on a wooden handle



This is a piano tuning muffler. The felt piece is inserted between the hammer and the strings to absorb the vibration of the strings (and therefore the sound) during tuning. The length of the wooden handle allows you to fully penetrate this part of the mechanism. It must be thin because of the tight fit. It can also be used with other string instruments, but these dimensions are typical for pianos.