10 Strange Tools and Devices Whose Functions Revealed a Puzzling Deception (18 photos)

Hundreds of magical objects await us on the streets, in parks, squares, in the homes of relatives and friends, in museums, and at flea markets.





Even if their magical powers aren't as powerful as those in fairy tales, understanding the functionality of mysterious ancient or, conversely, ultra-modern objects can be difficult. That's why we have to turn to the experts on the other side of the monitor for help. They're masters at solving riddles thrown at us. Can you handle it without a hint?

1. Large hanging ball with a transparent lampshade



Horse fly trap. A heated black inflatable ball hanging at the bottom of the trap generates heat on a sunny day. Once female horse flies (who are the only ones that bite) land on it, they rise into the container, where they cannot escape.





2. A red plastic diamond-shaped object with a hole and jagged edges



A brush for collecting pet hair from various surfaces.



3. A strangely shaped metal instrument covered in leather



A hook on a car seat.



4. A strange device made of wood and metal with a porthole



A binnacle is a protective box (or stand) for a ship's magnetic compass and other navigational instruments. It protects the equipment from the environment and may contain a light source. Since metal parts of a ship distort compass readings, deviation magnets are installed inside the binnacle to partially compensate for this interference, and the remaining error is calculated and taken into account when plotting a course.

It has soft magnetic iron balls on its sides, which reduce compass deviation, or the deviation of the compass from the correct direction caused by the ship's iron.



5. Ribbed metal tool on a wooden handle



Vegetable carving knife.



6. An item in an art supply set that resembles a wooden stylus tip



That's right, it's a stand and stylus for a smartphone.



7. Wooden barrel with a lid on top and a handle



Rotating butter churn.

8. An oblong fabric cushion with loops on a hotel door handle



A door stopper. When looped onto both door handles, the cushion prevents the door from closing, allowing luggage to be brought in.

9. An antique leather stool of an odd shape, discovered in a private club



A footstool or gout stool. Gout stools were used to support the affected foot, with the foot resting on the longer part of the stool and the foot on the shorter part.



10. Rotating wooden ball on a handle, purchased at a garage sale



A massager that produces clicking sounds for clicker training horses. The horse was first accustomed to manual massage after training sessions, and then introduced to the massager. A clicker was used during the procedure to associate the clicking sound with a pleasant sensation.

The idea was to simultaneously accustom the horse to massage and reinforce the clicker training. However, this method did not catch on, as regular clicker training proved to be sufficient for interaction with the horse.