What Is This MYSTERIOUS Leather Item Found At Work, And A Strange Tool That's Plaguing Me For Weeks?

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:05]What is this mystery item posted on Facebook? The item is made of metal and it was found in Prospect, Ohio, approximately 5 in from front to back and it weighs around 3 lb. Some suggestions in the comments are a tape dispenser, a shoe scraper, and one comment says it looks a bit like a leather splitter except it has a hinged blade. Can anyone here help identify what this might be?

[00:00:34]This item is a 1930s right line copy holder specifically designed for use by stenographers and secretaries. It was patented on December 19th, 1933 by Nent Dods of Washington DC.

[00:00:49]It was used to hold a sheet of typewriting paper to be copied and then advanced it one line at a time when the user tapped the bar at the bottom. The horizontal piece aligned with each line on the paper to enable the user to easily follow the writing as the paper moved upward.

[00:01:10]I found this at the thrift store. What is it? It measures 12 in long and there are no holes anywhere else on it. just the nose spout. My first thought was an incense burner. Then I thought maybe for candles the back sections might hold tealights and the nose might hold a taper candle. Can anyone help out?

[00:01:34]It's a vintage Daxund liquor decanter made in Japan around the 1950s to the60s. There would have been little cups hanging from the prongs on its back and a stopper for the nose.

[00:01:48]I found this at work. What is it? It's made of leather and the raised thimble cap looking thing is heavyduty metal. I have no clue what this thing is used for. Can anyone give me information as to its use?

[00:02:06]It's a vintage salemaker's glove, a traditional tool designed to protect the palm while pushing large needles through thick materials like canvas or leather.

[00:02:16]The metal thimble on the palm allows the user to exert significant pressure to force the back end of a needle through multiple layers without injuring their hand. These are some of the tools and needles 19th century sailmakers would have used. The little dimples are to give a place for the back of the needle to seat in while you push it to stop it from skating around on the metal pad.

[00:02:41]What is this thing spotted on I75 South in Georgia? It had two Georgia State Patrol escorts in front and behind. I'm guessing a giant rope from a giant ship wraps around it and is mounted to a docking base. Let me know if you have any idea what this thing is.

[00:03:00]That's a GE model 2000 cask, a typeB shipping container licensed to transport spent nuclear fuel and other highly radioactive isotopes. It consists of concentric stainless steel shells with 4 in of lead poured between them for radiation shielding. It is built to survive severe hypothetical accident conditions, including major impacts, punctures, and fires without releasing its radioactive payload. It is primarily used by the Department of Energy and National Laboratories to safely ship irradiated research reactor fuel and large radioactive sources across the country.

[00:03:41]What is this thing I found whilst clearing out my dad's belongings? It's about the length of a forearm and he was a naval engineer if that helps. Any help on identifying is much appreciated.

[00:03:57]It's the cross-section of a helicopter rotor blade, illustrating its internal structure and components. These blades are often constructed from carbon composite materials for high strength and low weight. And the air foil shape is designed to produce lift.

[00:04:15]What is this strange tool made of metal with numbers on the corners and levers on either side? I work at a thrift store in the lower mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, and we get all kinds of weird things in. I've been able to identify 90% of it through asking my dad or any other old man in my extensive old man network, but this has everyone stumped. The main metal feels like steel, but the tips of the forks seem to be aluminum. The knobs you see here are used to move the center prong back and forth. My car mechanic uncle suggested it's maybe some kind of extraction tool.

[00:04:51]I also had a different uncle try to use AI to find an answer and it said it was a pin removing tool for automotive repair. But the images I've been able to find using that search term have looked completely different and unhelpful. This mystery has been plaguing me, my workshop team, and my family for weeks.

[00:05:10]So, any help is appreciated.

[00:05:16]Third generation shoemaker here. It's a mid-century zipper repair tool used to squeeze and align separated metal zipper teeth back into place. It features adjustable sliding arms and numbered sizing notches to accommodate different zipper gauges. Adjust the tool to the correct size by using the numbered buttons on the sides. Place the tool over the separated zipper teeth and slide it up or down to firmly press and interlock both sides. Once the teeth are remeshed, carefully guide your original slider back over the join teeth.

[00:05:53]What is this old railroad grade found in Grace Harbor, Washington State? We found this while doing some logging road cleanup out in the lower Donovan area of Grace Harbor. There were lots of old railroad grades in the area. I wonder what this could have been. Does anyone possibly know what this is?

[00:06:15]That's what's left of an early 20th century fair lead off the front of a donkey sled. Here is one of those devices mounted to the headlock of a donkey sled owned by the Coats Fordney logging company, predecessor to the Donovan Corkery Logging Company. And this 1920 photo was in the same area that you found the hardware in. It's missing the pulley wheel that would be mounted with the bracket that has the holes on top. But this device was designed to swivel in its base, which would be nailed or bolted to a donkey sled and guide the cable toward the spool from various angles. You can see cable marks worn into the roller.

[00:06:53]Obviously, it didn't receive enough grease while being used.

[00:07:00]What is this piece of rusty vintage equipment found stored in an old building in North Carolina? It has a collection of spiral torsion springs which can be controlled with levers and a master lever and there is an axle through the middle. I spent far too long trying to figure this thing out. It is rusty and heavy so I am presuming it is old, probably from the 1960s or before.

[00:07:24]The size of it means that it looks like it can store and release a sizable amount of energy with a pretty decent amount of control. The bolts at the bottom make it look like it was supposed to be secured in place on the ground.

[00:07:35]So, I'm thinking it is some sort of barn or hanger door opener. I'm curious if anyone has ever seen anything like this and knows what it is for.

[00:07:45]Please tell us down in the comments.

[00:07:50]Thanks for watching. Let's make life fun.