20 Mysterious Things That Were Solved by Internet Detectives

We often stumble upon items with mysterious purposes, leaving us curious and eager to uncover their functions. In the past, finding answers meant heading to the library or seeking out experts from the relevant era.

But with the advent of the internet, we now have an entire network of curious users acting as detectives, determined to reveal the secrets behind any enigmatic object, no matter how challenging the task. Let’s delve into some of the most intriguing discoveries about unidentified items that this digital detective service has unveiled.

1. “Small metal key-looking tool, one very sharp pointed end and two wider square parts leading up to the turn.”

Answer: It’s the key part of junior tool box.

2. “It is plastic and is threaded inside but not with a standard acme thread.”

Answer: It is a hand steam cleaner.

3. “This was in an estate auction lot. It’s made of wood and has a metal section with the letter A.”

Answer: It’s a tool for softening, making imprints, and cutting leather.

4. “A thumb protector possibly, but for what?”

Answer: It’s an antique butcher’s thumb protector.

5. “6 numbered wooden cubes in a very old cardboard box”

Answer: It’s an old puzzle called Octo-mania.

6. “Rusted in a microphone-like pedestal but with holes to screw it in place.”

Answer: It’s a vintage Chicago electric desk fan, but the assembly is missing.

7. “Found while cleaning the couch, no one knows where it came from. It’s metal, but probably not gold.”

Answer: It’s a keychain attachment.

8. “My hotel room bed leg has a red-flashing light coming from a rubber piece.”

Answer: It’s a mesh bed bug detector.

9. “I found this odd set of disposable cutlery in my new flat.”

Answer: They’re clay modeling instruments or cake-decorating tools.

10. “Found on a beach in Yorkshire that has holes in and feels like a mix between stone and plastic.”

Answer: It’s a Victorian’s toothbrush.

11. “What is this type of clamp used for? It doesn’t open more than this, and when closed, the holes collide perfectly.”

Answer: That’s a gang lock for Lockout/Tagout. It’s placed on a breaker when many people are working with equipment to keep them safe.

12. “What’s this device mounted under my office desk?”

Answer: It’s an occupancy sensor; it helps organize work stations at an office.

13. “A long tool with a metal dial on the top that you can twist, possibly related to calligraphy.”

Answer: It’s a ruling pen for drawing with ink or with other drawing fluids.

14. “A small metal trinket found buried on a rural farm appears to have an eagle, Flor de Lis, and rope pattern.”

Answer: It’s a Boy Scouts neckerchief slide.

15. “A compressible sponge soaked in clear oily odorless substance — I received it at a conference.”

Answer: It’s a shoe polisher.

16. “There’s a guy wearing this ankle thing at a resort in the Caribbean.”

Answer: It’s a mosquito-repellent device.

17. “What are these blue reflective markers for? They’re facing the field.”

Answer: They reflect cars’ headlights to the fields so that animals avoid crossing the road.

18. “Landlord found it in the basement. Heavy metal. Google isn’t responding well to ‘scary wand’ or ‘aggressive pleasure instrument’.”

Answers: It’s a soldering iron.

19. “I now own these neon rainbow acrylic mystery sticks I found at a secondhand store. Does anyone know what I bought?”

Answer: They’re acrylic support tiles for playing Mahjong.

20. “Someone gave this to my friend. It’s metal with a plastic round knob/thing coming out of it and a plastic handle. What is this?”

Answer: It’s a 1920s electric massager.

Have you ever come across an object whose purpose remains a complete enigma? In this digital age, the collective curiosity of users can uncover the most perplexing item’s hidden secrets, just like we’ve explored in the article!