12 Curious Objects That Would Even Make Sherlock Holmes Flinch

Sometimes, the most fascinating discoveries come from the most unexpected places—like the back of an old drawer. From strange gadgets to mysterious trinkets, people have stumbled upon objects that left them scratching their heads.

In this article, we’ve gathered 12 curious finds that had people confused. Each item has its own unique, intriguing answer. Can you figure out what these strange discoveries are?

1. “This white, square object fell out of my hat drawer while moving! Never seen it before now.”

Answer: It’s a camera. It’s not connected to anything, though. It looks like a webcam where someone popped the front off.

2. “I found this thing in my junk drawer. It’s over 2 inches. There is nothing that separates the 2 holes from the inside.”
(Pen for scale)

Answer: Put a couple of quarters inside from the side so you have change for the pay phone to call a cab. This was a thing before everyone had cell phones. (It’s specifically to hold coins to call a cab.)

3. “Old school travel comb?! I found it stuck behind a drawer in our bathroom.”

Answer: Used in the 1970s to style Afro hairstyle. It fluffs out frizzy hair. The iron version of this comb is to place on a burner to get it hot and use it for hairstyling.

4. “What is this metal hook looking thing? I found it in a drawer with sewing supplies.”

Answer: It’s like a heavy-duty curtain hook — perhaps for large velvet / blackout curtains. Turn it around, so the hook is down, and insert the prongs into the pockets for the curtains.

5. “I found this in a kitchen drawer. It’s 12 inches long and weighs 2 pounds. The scoop is flat and is 3.5 inches in diameter. I think it’s made of silver.”

Answer: That is a salamander. A specialty tool for making crème brûlée. They’ve been obsolete since cooks started to keep tiny blowtorches in the kitchen. You heat it on a burner, and then hold it over the crème brûlée to caramelize the top layer.

6. “I found this tool in the kitchen drawer of a beachfront condo. Wondering what it’s used for. No writing or logos on it.”

Answer: It’s a bottle/jar opener, designed to fit varies jar lid sizes.

7. “Hollow silver oval found in our kitchen drawer, we don’t remember buying it. (Banana for scale)”

Answer: It’s stainless steel soap. It’s to rub on your hands after chopping onions or garlic. It gets the smell off.

8. “I found this inside a drawer in my parents’ house. It’s a soft and flexible plastic pouch with red gel and a metal disc inside. The pouch is filled with some kind of gel or liquid.”

Answer: Hand warmer. You can “click” the metal piece, and it will start a chemical reaction and heat the pad.

9. “This device was found in a kitchen drawer. (Lighter for scale)”

Answer: It’s a doughnut holder — the English type, not the one with the hole in it — you hold it in this tool and then inject jam (jelly) into it with a jam syringe.

10. “Small metal tool with ring at one end. There’s a ring at one end, and then it forms a T at the other end. If you squeeze the ends of the T inwards, it opens a bit in the stem between the T and the round end.”

Answer: This is a hose clamp, designed to pinch off a section of rubber tubing or, more recently, Tygon tubing, typically found at the bottom of a column or syringe.

11. “I found this in a kitchen cupboard — what is it?”

Answer: It’s a water filter wrench.

12. “What is this silicone ‘thing?!’ The teardrop side is metal and will magnetize to the round side that is magnetic.”

Answer: It is a shower curtain weight to keep the curtain straight. Incredibly useful for clawfoot and freestanding tubs. The “button” goes on the interior of the curtain, and the tail hangs on the outside over the lip of the bath.

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