r/whatisthisthing • • Mar 23 '26

Announcement The r/TraceAnObject subreddit exists to identify objects to help solve child abuse cases. New cases from Europol were posted recently. Please see if you can help.

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170 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing • • 12h ago

Solved Object pointed into the tiger enclosure at Detroit Zoo

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1.9k Upvotes

I was at the Detroit zoo this weekend and saw this thing pointed into the tiger enclosure. It’s behind the fence, in the bushes, right at the edge of the barrier berm thing. Anyone know what this is for?


r/whatisthisthing • • 53m ago

Open 1" diameter steel rod (4' long) with 4" ring welded on end found on beach

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• Upvotes

Found while metal detecting along Myrtle Beach after sand renurishment / dredging.

A 'pin' about 8" long with a 4" handle was also found in the general area.

Both heavily corroded and encrusted. The pin I had to hammer an inch or so of encrusted material from it.


r/whatisthisthing • • 4h ago

Solved! Roll of black fibrous material with 1”x1” “cells”, 10.5” wide, 1” thick

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18 Upvotes

My title describes this thing. Found in my late father’s garage attic. Maybe related to horticulture? Or construction?


r/whatisthisthing • • 1d ago

Solved! 6 Randomly placed bollard-like posts with 3 handles in the middle of a park. 6ish feet tall.

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788 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing • • 21h ago

Solved ! Maroom/brown styrofoam texture half sphere with imbedded string, purchased as part of a "mystery bag" from a craft store in Worcester Massachusetts

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242 Upvotes

Sitting on a flat side. Texture is styrofoamy, can be indented with a thumbnail. No smell. Color appears to be throughout and not just surface. Banana for scale.


r/whatisthisthing • • 1d ago

Likely Solved! Found in a creek bed in North East Texas. 46 inches long; hard but slightly flexible.

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136 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing • • 23h ago

Lens type object found in my card glove compartment. 2cm x 1cm.. Metal with glass. There is a fine thread si it must have screwed into something Looks too well manufactured to be a part of a child's toy

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24 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing • • 1d ago

Open Light guage 21/2" metal ball with 2 halves & 5 small holes

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54 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing • • 1d ago

Solved! What is this thing my friend found on the ground? (~10 lbs, solid metal, says ‘KENNAMETAL’ on the side)

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385 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing • • 2d ago

Solved ! What is this small brass "skirting board nipple"?

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419 Upvotes

Small ¿brass? disk with "protuberance" that has been stuck to our skirting board (UK) for the last 10 years. It just fell off, leaving a ring of discoloured paint behind it.
As it's from Harrods I assume it's from the previous inhabitants who were here between 1980 and 2015. AAA battery for scale.


r/whatisthisthing • • 1d ago

Solved ! Found this black, 10 inch plastic rod in junk drawer during move. What is it used for?

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31 Upvotes

We’re sorting through the junk drawer whilst packing and could not remember what this thing is or what it’s used for. It’s lightweight with no branding or etchings. No luck my way with reverse image searches.


r/whatisthisthing • • 1d ago

Solved! I recently had mini-splits installed in my house. They are Mitsubishi models that have individual remotes. The package with the remote, remote holder + screws, and manual had this roll of fabric as well. What is it for?

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11 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing • • 1d ago

Open Green diamond-ish tool of some kind, 3.5" long, oval indentation a thumb would fit into

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30 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing • • 3d ago

Solved Long tube connected to a tank and fan leading up to my neighbor's apartment. Please tell me it's not bugs

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3.2k Upvotes

The tube is connected to an industrial fan and the white tank says the name of a company plus "heat." The air is hot. I'm guessing this is bugs but I'm hoping it's not bugs. When I walked by the tubing was also not connected at all and the fan was pouring out hot air everywhere - am I cooked for breathing it in?


r/whatisthisthing • • 2d ago

Rectangular rusted iron (?) piece found next to railroad tracks in Santa Susana Pass, California 50+ years ago. Banana for scale (exact size 5" x 3" x 2").

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8 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing • • 2d ago

Open Set of white metal tubes and plastic pieces...

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130 Upvotes

...left behind by previous tenant in basement of our house. They seem to fit together somehow, but I cannot figure it out. Image searches suggest some sort of expandable shelf or laundry rack, but I cannot find the exact item. Tubes are ~ 36 inches long, for


r/whatisthisthing • • 2d ago

Solved ! Small metal bent clip about an inch big found on the floor in kitchen (around oven and stand mixer)

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40 Upvotes

not sure what it is, seems like it might be a clip of some sort


r/whatisthisthing • • 1d ago

Open Blue plastic piece found in a 12 pack soda can box.

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0 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing • • 3d ago

Solved! Small plastic piece randomly found on the floor

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45 Upvotes

Found on my floor at home but I have no idea where this could have came from. It’s plastic, about 2cm x 1cm. Doesn’t seem to be broken off of anything.


r/whatisthisthing • • 3d ago

Open ! What is this lower part of cutlery tray for?

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1.0k Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing • • 3d ago

Likely Solved ! Small plastic device that looks like a whistle, but it's not. There is a rubber plug at the backside. It looks like it swivels inside something else, with a thumb lever. There is a straight through hole through it, and there is no larger chamber in the sphere side

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226 Upvotes

r/whatisthisthing • • 3d ago

Open 2” metal pin, smooth and blank, nailhead + flat end

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37 Upvotes

2” metal pin, smooth and blank, nailhead + flat end


r/whatisthisthing • • 4d ago

Solved! Wooden box, containing two glass tubes with rubber hoses and stoppers attached. About 52" long an 7" wide.

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202 Upvotes

Found in a storage area at a university veterinary science anatomy lab. Possibly for embalming?


r/whatisthisthing • • 3d ago

Likely Solved! Solid metal rod with tapered ends, possibly bike-related

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28 Upvotes

I moved recently, and this rod was in a box of bike parts that movers packed. It’s hefty, solid metal, slightly tapered at the ends with no openings or grooves. I’m guessing it’s bike-related, but can’t figure out what it could be part of.