What Is It? Game 110

By Alex in What Is It on Sep 24, 2009 at 7:25 am

W00t! It’s time for this week’s collaboration with the always awesome What is it? Blog. Can you tell us what this strange and menacing old timey batarang is used for?

Game rules are simple: place your guess in the comment section. Please post no URL or web links, let others play. No prize this week, so you’re playing for bragging rights only.

For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog – good luck!

Update 9/25/09 – the answer is: The head of a boarding axe, used by pirates to cut the ropes of boarding hooks, bring down masts and rigging, and generally tear through anything that stood in the way of the loot, like doors, hatches or locks. They were also employed by the U.S. Navy, the teeth behind the cutting edge were used to drag away burning rigging and sails from the decks. Congratulations to jamesmccallum who got it right! (and I must say, I’ve truly enjoyed some of your guesses!)


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  1. o0st0ned0o
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 7:37 am

    Its a device used to tear open coconut husks.

  2. Jaz_Allen
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 7:38 am

    Conan the Barbarians Cheese Knife

  3. letterpreston
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 7:38 am

    Mountain climbers ice pick/axe.

  4. cluggerbants
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 7:46 am

    a groover for making grooves in skirting boards. Or a hook for hauling blocks of ice???

    Toothpick for giraffes?

  5. jamesmccallum
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 8:15 am

    It’s a boarding ax from an old sailing ship. It was used, at lest in part, to cut away damaged sails, masts, and rigging. The two triangle shapped indentions behing the ax head were used like hooks to pull sail and rope away.

  6. Tigergulp
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 8:16 am

    LOL @ Jaz_Allen

    its an ancient version of the spork.

  7. Gauldar
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 8:27 am

    Steampunk Batarang!

  8. Pierre Arpin
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 8:28 am

    Pickets to hold tents on the ground.

  9. thoughtbubble
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 8:39 am

    Mountain/ice climbing tool?

  10. Scooter
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 8:43 am

    well, it’s obviously an ax head… good guesses on the it’s function I’m impressed.

  11. Miss Cellania
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 8:46 am

    I believe this is an instrument of torture.

  12. mikewho
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 8:53 am

    an ancient tool for abortion *note: must be heated to be effective

  13. Carl H.
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 9:12 am

    Looks to me to be a Spur sharpener??

  14. finnikins
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 9:29 am

    Aww, somebody took out one of Wolverine’s claws and painted it black…

    I have no idea!

  15. Bob szantyr
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 9:33 am

    it’s the blade of a boarding axe.

  16. darelparker
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 9:39 am

    I don’t know what it is, but it looks awesome and I want one.

  17. Morris
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 9:48 am

    It’s lineman’s boot climbing spike. Or tree climber spike.

  18. Skipweasel
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 10:06 am

    It’s another variety of tool for getting Girl Guides out of Boy Scout tents.

  19. PuterPrsn
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 10:08 am

    Looks like a cane knife

  20. Evlbunniears
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 10:24 am

    is it an old fashioned boot scraper?

  21. jaxmickey
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 10:32 am

    It is an ice axe, but more of a tool than for climbing as the pick is not curved on the underside, nor has teeth.

  22. Grandnom
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 11:43 am

    “Bobby quit playing with that!! you’ll poke your eye out!!!”

  23. DanoftheNorth
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 11:56 am

    It’s a tooth broken off one of those giant robot monsters that terrorize cities from time to time. I’ve seen actual footage of them–actually animated re-enactments on TV, on Saturday mornings.

    Those giant robot monsters have been known to bite the tops off buildings or chew on tanks sent in by the army. Sometimes a tooth breaks off. (Bad news for the monster ’cause it’s not usually covered in their dental plan).

  24. joe
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 12:07 pm

    bloodletting tool

  25. zavatone
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 12:29 pm

    Looks like something for pulling thread in a loom.

  26. Christophe
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 12:42 pm

    rejected Nike logo

  27. George
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 1:09 pm

    A device driven into a roof to hold a toeboard in place.

  28. Bonni
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 1:47 pm

    Looks like a tool for opening clams, oysters, etc.

  29. slim22
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 3:37 pm

    It’s a horse hoof pick.

  30. HayleBale
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 3:47 pm

    A can opener

  31. Miss Frenchy
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 3:56 pm

    Chuck Norris’ toothpick?

  32. Bill W
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 4:31 pm

    It’s a cleaner for golf shoes

  33. venerant
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 5:11 pm

    one of Batman’s first attempts at creating the Batarang

  34. robert m
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 6:55 pm

    an old school tool for pulling teeth?

  35. Jrod
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 7:42 pm

    Some kinda weird tool for eating

  36. anfumy
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 7:46 pm

    it’s a human body opener.

  37. Alex Williams
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 8:16 pm

    A hinge to a treasure chest??

  38. joel
    Sep 24th, 2009 at 10:18 pm

    yep, the top of a pick axe without the handle.

  39. Randall
    Sep 25th, 2009 at 9:44 am

    This is a Kepler flangle. This tool is for unclasping jammed safety pins on baby diapers. They come in in pink and blue but black seems to be the most popular color, though o one knows why. Its not named after the inventor, who is unknown, but after Wilmont Kepler, who owns a collection of 1,874,999 of these, you seem to have the only one not in collection. Wilmont’s people wil be visiting you soon, I suggest you cooperate.

  40. Scot-O
    Sep 25th, 2009 at 12:38 pm

    It is what my ex’s lawyer used to remove my soul when cleaning out my bank account wasn’t enough.


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