Sometimes you come across things which meaning is not quite clear at first sight. You stand looking at this unusual object and try to guess: is it a designer’s masterpiece or someone’s very specific creativity?

“What’s this stool? Maybe for storing saddles?”

• It’s really a stool. In the past, they used it to ride a camel, and then it was used as furniture. © Electrical_Belt3249 / Reddit

“My neighbor has this in his lawn, high frequency sound comes out of it when I pass it. What is that thing?”

• It’s an animal scarer. Emits an annoying high pitch beep to deter animals (like cats) when it detects one using the IR sensors on the front. Really annoying to walk past if you have sensitive hearing. © WillardWhy / Reddit

“Found some kind of small tube in the car park. Seems to be made of plastic or light metal. What could it be?”

• The cap of a glitter powder spray bottle. © BadMojo91 / Reddit

“Found this in my backyard. At first glance, appears to be a battery with a mini USB board on the face. Wired to a single external Christmas light and wrapped in tape.”

• It’s an LED light from a party balloon. I have one just like it in my pocket from this weekend. © heyitskitty / Reddit

“Found a little box on a small pipe with USB connectors at the end of my rural driveway. What is it?”

• Mighty Mule driveway alarm! © LinearFluid / Reddit

“Green metal barrel on a tree next to a river in the woods in Ireland. With a lock underneath. What could it be?”

• We used to use similar things for work related storage — working in natural resources, and maybe there is a routine testing of the water at this spot, so they would store stuff at the site instead of traveling around. Notebook, buckets, some containers, data recorders, etc. We did sap flow studies and had to keep the data recorders on the trees, but didn’t want them to get stolen, this would have worked. © Ol_Man_J / Reddit

“Found a hollow frying pan thing from the stuff of a neighbor who passed away. Gray, metallic, and has a bottom that can be screwed off. Any ideas?”

• It’s a pocket oiler (oil can). It was used to lubricate mechanisms that required regular maintenance, such as typewriters or clock gears. © Mackin-N-Cheese / Reddit

“What is this thing I found in a bag I got at a yard sale full of crafting supplies? It’s 8 inches long and the little loops are flexible.”

• It’s like a ruler to write in straight lines, but the loops bend out of your way for descenders, which are the lower parts of the letter g, p, y, etc. © dan_dorje / Reddit

“Found this weird spoon in the back of my cupboard. Anyone know what it was made for?”

• It’s a spoon for babies. You’re supposed to hold it sideways and pour its liquid content into the toddler’s mouth. © TheoduleTheGreat / Reddit

“What’s that for?”

• In Spain, these are everywhere. It’s a prosciutto holder. © actuallychrisgillen / Reddit

“Bank gave out this promotional item, no idea what it is.”

• This is just a simple phone holder, I have a similar one. © ct023 / Reddit

“Found this thing on a shelf in my parents’ bathroom.”

• Oh look at mister 20/20 over here. © AaronDM4 / Reddit
• It’s for hydrogen peroxide based contact lens cleaners. © Thelastosirus / Reddit

“I saw this device at one of the village houses, and at first I thought it was used to tie horses or donkeys.”

It turned out that this device is used to clean shoes in rainy weather. While holding the upper bar with your hands, you shake off the dirt from the sole by running your shoe across the bottom.

“What’s this iron ’shoe’?”

• Flat track motorcycle racing shoe. Goes over your boot and lets your inside foot drag around the sweeping corners and not catch or wear out your boot, probably from the 1960s. © meerdog3 / Reddit

And here’s another bunch of mysterious objects which secrets were finally revealed.