≡
Earn NeatoPoints!   Hello, !   (logout) sign up | login

What is It? Game 31

Alex •

Today's collaboration with What is It? blog brings you this strange object - can you guess what it is? First one to guess correctly will win a FREE Neatorama T-Shirt!

Place your guess in the comment section (post no URL, please - let others play). Check out What is it? blog for size and material information.

Update 8/3/07 - the answer is:

Fiber optic magnifier, made from over 15,000 tapered fibers. Created by heating the central region of a cylindrical bundle of fused optical fibers, pulling it into an hourglass glass shape, and then cutting it in the middle. Lots of drawings can be found on the patent page, number 5,600,751. These are also made to be used as part of night vision scopes.
Congratulations to chris #21 who got it exactly right. Close guess by libon #4, but I was looking for an exact match.


Comments (48)

Newest 5
Newest 5 Comments

I think "Bobby the K" has identified it, except he has it the wrong side up. The big end should go up and the small end down, to bring light below deck on an old wood ship.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
Not a sock darner with that handle; I remember my Grandmother using one. More likely some type of early machine like a butter churn or primative Veg-O-Matic.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
19th Century bowling pin. Victorian-era bowling alleys did not have automatic pin setters. The pins were picked up and repositioned by under-fed orphaned waifs . The handles atop the pins helped the tiny orphans reset the pins quickly so they could scurry out the path of on-coming bowling balls.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
an early submarine model with periscope. They knew bottles floated, so decided to put a periscope in it, but turns out bottles don't like to stay upright. really sucked for the test pilot.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
It looks like a tiny lamp- but it's a lamp used in the home of a blind person. That way, things look right to sighted people, but the blind person doesn't accidentally burn themselves on a real lamp.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
Dr. Amazing's Wrinkle Remover! Combined with our tonic water, this amazing product will remove any and all signs of aging. Two doses daily, immediately followed by rubbing our patented remover across all wrinkled skin surfaces will leave you looking, and feeling, young again! It's like an iron for your skin! But don't worry, it won't burn! *insert cheesy grin*
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
Looks to me like a pin from an old bowling game I have seen where the pins aren't knocked down, but rather attached to a pivot point above them. When the pin is hit, it retracts into the ceiling and is released back down (reset) for the next turn.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
That's used at fish farms, the first person uses it to make holes in the water, then the second person plants one fish egg in each hole. Someone else comes behind the egg-planters with a hose to fill in the holes. It's a very efficient system.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
It's an old-fashioned stand mixer (hey, didn't I guess that already?). I presume that you pour what needs to be mixed through the hole near the top, and after pumping/turning the handle, you pour out mixture through the same hole.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
the original penis pump.

It required 2 people to operate. The man had the option of having his partner help, which proved to be somewhat of a mood killer. Or, he could have a friend help though when caught, it caused many an awkward situation. Hence many men desperate enough to use one, had a family member help... this reduced the rumors that would go around, but also made the family dinner very uncomfortable.

Shortly afterwards it was redesigned in it's current, "help yourself" format.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
Ok a lot of you went the bowling pin route. You almost had it, EXCEPT that it is for strengthening your hand and arm for a bowling BALL. That is why the handle is so wide. It keeps your fingers at the proper distance during training.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
That's easy. This is a tool used to shape woolen hats. The hatter would place the hat on the pin, and push this into a liquid mercury bath, purging out the moisture from the wool. By the shape of this one, I would think it was used to make a womans' hat, a 1930's style cloche. (The expression "Mad as a hatter" comes from the damage done by exposure to the fumes of mercury. )
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
I think it might be an Udder Massager for bovines. How does one get the best milk? Massage it out! Happy cows, better milk! The handle looks like it might have a cow bell on it.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
I'm thinking this tool is used when placing large stickers or other adhesive materials on a flat surface. The rounded, wooden edge is used to smooth out any air holes and allow for a smooth, flawless finish.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
This is a comblestobber, possibly the oddest musical and most dangerous instrument ever devised. When electricity was new it was put to many uses and making 'electric' music was a brief and often fatal fad. The 'combler', while suspended within a rolling ball like metal cage, which would by 'rolled' along a charged grid, would acheive various senthized notes by swinging the charged comblestobber in small curving arcs, without touching, but almost making contact with the cage. Surviving audience members described the experience and 'electrifying.'
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
Login to comment.
We hope you like what you see! Please share:

Check out NeatoShop's large selection of T-shirts
Science T-Shirts | Sci-Fi T-Shirts | Fantasy T-Shirts
Funny T-Shirts | Horror T-Shirts | Video Game T-Shirts

Shirts available in sizes S to 10XL:
6XL T-Shirts | 7XL T-Shirts | 8XL T-Shirts
9XL T-Shirts | 10XL T-Shirts
Big & Tall and Curvy Tees are our specialties!
Customization and personalization available.

Specialty T-Shirts:
Anime Big & Tall T-Shirts (3XL to 10XL)

Email This Post to a Friend
"What is It? Game 31"

Separate multiple emails with a comma. Limit 5.
 

Success! Your email has been sent!

close window
X

This website uses cookies.

This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By using this website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

I agree
 
Learn More