What Is It? game 214

By Miss Cellania in What Is It on Feb 16, 2012 at 6:30 am

Once again, it’s time for our collaboration with the always amusing What Is It? Blog! Do you know what the object in this picture is?

Place your guess in the comment section below. One guess per comment, please, though you can enter as many as you’d like. Post no URLs or weblinks, as doing so will forfeit your entry. Two winners: the first correct guess and the funniest (albeit ultimately wrong) guess will each win a T-shirt from the NeatoShop.

Please write your T-shirt selection alongside your guess. If you don’t include a selection, you forfeit the prize, okay? May we suggest the Science T-Shirt, Funny T-Shirt and Artist-Designed T-Shirts?

Check for more clues at the What Is It? Blog. Good luck!

Update: this scary-looking tool is a slater’s axe. It’s also called a sax, saxe, slate cleaver, slate cutters’ trimmer, slate trimmer, and zax. It was used to trim and punch holes in roofing slate. Anker was the first with the right answer, and so wins a t-shirt from the NeatoShop! The prize for the funniest answer goes to marcintosh, who said, “It’s a Panel Trowel. It’s used for spreading white grout in the gaps between comic book panels. That’s why it’s shaped like a word balloon.” That one deserves  t-shirt, too! Thanks to everyone who played along. See the answers to all this week’s mystery items now at the What Is It? blog.


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  1. Craig Clayton
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 6:32 am

    I believe it is a large trowel for laying flagstone or large floor tile with a motor or cement base

    T shirt M large

    Craig Clayton

  2. Berhard
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 6:33 am

    My best guess is gardening tool, a combination of a trovel and a weeder…

    neatobot walking 2xl navy

  3. Anker
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 6:41 am

    Faithfull Slaters Axe right hand (a roofing tool)

    scientific mole , size M ladie’s fit The Scientific Mole navy

  4. Steve Pauk
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 7:04 am

    A “BARB” b que grill scraper!!!

    T-shirt Mens Large – Objects appear closer.

  5. Justine
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 7:05 am

    I think it’s used for de-boning fish. The curved thing might be used to pick out the the smaller bones.

    Hydrogen Bondage, female large

  6. Julie
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 7:16 am

    It’s OBVIOUSLY a butt scratcher.

    T-shirt Mens small – Geeks Do It With Gadgets

  7. Davey
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 7:22 am

    It’s a fish cleaver: the spike is for picking up the next fish!

    Sabre Tooth Tiger M light blue

  8. Petros Panagiotidis
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 7:29 am

    Fish Cleaver and Gutter.

    I would guess the small round edge is for eyes or something?

    Unicorn Poop
    Men’s XL Navy

  9. amanderpanderer
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 7:30 am

    That’s an early modified hand-held version of a lobo (lobotomizer) from the zombie wars. You thwack the head with the pointy bit to destroy the brain, then you use the flat bit to chop it off. The roundy bit is for if your buddy gets his pointy bit stuck in a zombie brain…which it will. They made the handle longer later, because who wants to get within biting range?

    Your Cell Phone makes you Twice…Men’s S, Dark Grey

  10. macaroniprincess
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 7:35 am

    Zombie killer. Doesn’t anyone else watch The Walking Dead?

  11. David Dyer
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 7:40 am

    Coconut cleaver. Spike is used to remove outer husk and cleaver to split the inner shell

  12. Greg penn
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 7:43 am

    Its a coconut opener! The spike is to punch a hole, the blade to split open.

    Battle Damage men’s xl

  13. marcintosh
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 7:44 am

    It’s a Panel Trowel. It’s used for spreading white grout in the gaps between comic book panels. That’s why it’s shaped like a word balloon.

    Neato turtle, natural, large

  14. sandyra
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 7:49 am

    It’s a bacon slabberizer. You put it on top of the bacon so your bacon won’t curl up. The hook is for defense when someone tries to sneak up and steal your bacon. It works!

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  15. trishlovesdolphins
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 7:52 am

    It’s a beginners sword for baby Saians. Goku played with one just like this when he was in diapers.

    What happens at grandma’s
    L blue.

  16. productiveslacker
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 8:12 am

    It’s like one of those bubbles in cartoons that have the words the characters are saying.

    You write something like “WTF” or “IN THE MOVIES THE KILLER IS RIGHT BEHIND ME” on it and then hold it over someone’s head for a good laugh, then you strike them to death.

    Or so I was told.

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  17. ladybugs
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 8:15 am

    Spile Cleaver

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  18. kent
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 8:19 am

    pimple eradicator

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  19. SisterMerryHellish
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 8:25 am

    It’s all that remains of the Robot Hitchhiker Killer’s latest victim!

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  20. Vade101
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 8:28 am

    It’s a Billhook.

  21. Geoff
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 8:39 am

    Its obviously a old time quote plate. You would hold it up in photographs and write quotes on it.

    Battle Damage XL Navy

  22. Bethany
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 8:41 am

    It’s a Cheese Knife.

  23. ladybugs
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 8:44 am

    Antique Thoracic Surgeon’s X-tra Comination Large Scalpel & Chest Spreader

    PB & Jellyfish, Large, Serene Green

  24. randi
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 8:46 am

    tree climbing axe

  25. Jim!
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 8:54 am

    Coconut cleaver!

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  26. iamnumberjuan
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 9:33 am

    Leave it to Cleaver

    Unicorn poop XL

  27. Thaxted
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 9:38 am

    Jesus’s,” Eye for an Eye till everyone is blind Meat Cleaver”.

  28. Straight_Flush
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 9:44 am

    That’s how Butchers indicated they “Like” the meat before Facebook was around.

    T-Shirt: Resistance begins at Ohm.
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  29. Thomas
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 9:45 am

    I think it may be a beekeepers knife. The edge is the right size to uncap honeycomb and the spike and round corner would be useful to pry frames out of the hive.

  30. B.J.
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 9:47 am

    A thaching knife, to cut the straw up on the roof. The peg is secure the knife, so it don’t fall down.

    PB & Jellyfish, Large, Serene Green

  31. Joseph Francis
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 10:27 am

    Some folks call it a Kaiser blade. I call it a sling blade.

  32. Gary B
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 10:34 am

    After the sheep is slaughtered, the cleaver side is used to remove the sheep’s head, after which the butcher, with the spike, picks up and moves the head to the next station.

  33. Geoduck
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 10:35 am

    It’s a tool used to score, chop and drag around blocks of ice.
    Shirt: glow-in-the-dark bones Size: 2XL.

  34. Geoduck
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 10:37 am

    (May be repeat post, if so, sorry)
    It’s a tool for scoring, chopping and dragging around blocks of ice.
    Shirt: glow-in-the-dark bones. Size: 2XL

  35. anonymous coward
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 10:51 am

    Don’t you just hate balloons?

    This thing means you’ll never need to go to another children’s party surrounded by those horrible floating harbingers of doom. Flail wildly for a few seconds with one of those babies in each hand and then everyone can enjoy a nice balloon-free party! Our hero! *swoon*

  36. StilesJM
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 11:01 am

    It’s a teppanyaki implement for making the Japanese dish takoikite, or “kicking octopus.” The spike is used to hold the octupus down during cooking and the spatula is used to pick it up & serve.

    Heartbreaker, dark gray Men’s medium

  37. StilesJM
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 11:03 am

    …or Hannibal Lechter’s cake server.

    Heartbreaker, dark gray men’s medium

  38. Randall
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 11:17 am

    An Ice trowel, to shape ice into blocks to fit into ice wagons to be sold to people to put into Ice boxes.

    Everytime I see one I get chills.

    Battle damage, Mens XL

  39. lonewolfe13
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 11:29 am

    It’s a Chinese butcher’s back scratcher. Because using the edge of the knife is dangerous and unsanitary.

    Keep on bloggin’ – ash grey – lrg

    Thanks guys, always fun.

  40. AnnaZed
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 11:49 am

    This is a mason’s tool with the broad side used for depositing and spreading the mortar. The spike is for striking bricks and breaking them to make half bricks and other odd sized pieces when needed, and the notched corner was used to even out the mortar and create a smooth slightly indented mortar surface between the bricks on the outward facing surface.

    Though this tool was versatile, I think it was eventually decided by more thoughtful (and rational) masons that the hazard of poking one’s self in the eye with the spike ultimately outweighed its potential usefulness and subsequently hammers became the tool of choice for making brick fragments.

    I would like a 2XX sized ‘Discombobulate – How Many Daleks Does It Take To Change a Light Bulb?’ t-shirt in charcoal.

  41. Mouserz
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 11:58 am

    a butcher knife, the hook is to pull the meat towards you.

  42. ThomAss
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 12:23 pm

    Whoever broke into my basement needs to return my things.

    Bad Chewie – Ladies Fit – Size M – White

  43. MEM
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 1:09 pm

    It’s a door-to-door salesman’s tool. It ofen comes with strrl-toed shous for getting your foot in the door when the customer slams it. The hook is a lever to pry the door open the rest of the way and the trowel part is used to butter the customer up with.

    Unpredictable swing voter, small, natural

  44. rogerweirdman
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 2:39 pm

    when the butcher is working, time is money, so he uses the cleaver to slice the meat, and the spike to remover marrow from the bones, and hook the next piece of meat from the main hooks, to avoid having to use another tool.

    Also, as this is an antique, with the age being around 200-275 years old, guessing, it was also used as a weapon for pirates, which they would attach to a rope, and use as a grappling hook to board other ships.

    As the 1800′s approached the hook and cleaver began its use in the torture field, as this became the main method of rural torture in spain, germany, and the netherlands. Though the tiem period moved on this device did not, and its use was stopped in 1834.

    The bad thing is that since this one survived it carries the curse of the people who were persecuted at its touch, and their souls were trapped in the blade. Do not touch the blade without gloves, or the curse of the blade will spread, and cause a new plague to blanket the land.

  45. Kevin George
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 3:59 pm

    The Ronco Pocket Fireman’s Axe!

    Better mouse med

  46. henribaker
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 7:04 pm

    A crudely-forged Nordic butterknife, repurposed in rural Iceland by old Mrs. Guðjohnsen as an icepick and, occasionally, a musical instrument during the village talent show.

    Battle Damage, Cardinal Red Medium

  47. The Professor
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 7:17 pm

    “Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle towards my hand? No? Well let me know when you find one, this soliloquy doesn’t work so well with a spikey chopping thing!” Macbeth

    Office Guy Shirt & Tie S

  48. l s
    Feb 16th, 2012 at 9:11 pm

    it look a lot like a slaters tool. the spike punches holes in the slate for nails(even allows the nails to set smooth due to how the slate layers break through – similar to a bullet going through anything with a small hole on one side that gets bigger on the other) and the little notches are to catch and pop nails to loosen broken tiles for replacement.

  49. Mysfyt
    Feb 17th, 2012 at 4:54 am

    Cleaver Shark – Shallow water variety.

  50. Mysfyt
    Feb 17th, 2012 at 4:56 am

    Cleaver Shark – Shallow water variety
    Mighty Power – Mighty Mouse 2XL

  51. iago
    Feb 17th, 2012 at 12:01 pm

    It’s Teddy Roosevelt’s cigar cutter. Like Teddy is going to settle for one of those little nancy-boy cigar cutters you get from the tobacconists. This is a cigar cutter for real men.

    Discombobulate 2XL black

  52. StilesJM
    Feb 17th, 2012 at 4:48 pm

    A British National Health Service combination periodontal scaler and curette

    Heartbreaker gray men’s medium

  53. Doug
    Feb 17th, 2012 at 5:01 pm

    It’s the key to someone’s heart.

    Schroedinger’s Cat: Wanted Dead And/Or Alive
    Mens M Chocolate


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