These Items Used To Be Found In Every Household. Can You Guess What They Are?

By Editorial Staff in History On 17th December 2016

Antique collecting can be fun, and costly. For those who admire the things from the past, there's nothing quite like digging up some old relic that was once used in every home and by thousands of people. But the reality is that many things from the past are more or less obsolete now, and they only have historical or nostalgic value. For example, at one time, each of these objects would have been a common sight around the house, but these days, we only find them in antique shops. Can you figure out what they were once used for?

#1 #1 This metal container with green enamel paint has the name of a fuel supplier stenciled on it. You probably have one of these today.

The ones we use today are mostly plastic or hard rubber with a lip on the edge. It's a dustpan! This particular one was a promotional item from the Watson-Hall company, and the wire handle is there so you could sweep your dust and debris into it without stooping down on the floor. The metal was then twisted into a wooden handle that was about 3 feet long, making the pan about 4.5 feet long in total, so there was still a little bending. But the top part looks like it was eventually used as a coat hanger. Our lightweight, plastic dust pans have some obvious advantages, but a piece of metal equipment like this will last forever!

#2 Do you know what this wooden box with a zinc tray and small hole up top was used for?

It was actually a very popular item at one time. It was called a pipe station, and men would use it to fill their pipe over the basin in order to collect any loose tobacco that fell out, and the hole in the top held an ashtray to empty your pipe into after smoking. Of course, you probably wouldn't see anything like this in a home today, with the fewer amount of people smoking or using tobacco products. The use of pipes fell off dramatically after the end of WWII and these were basically junked.

#3 This piece of wire is twisted into a heart shape and has a wooden handle. Can you guess what it was used for?

Can you imagine having to do this every time your rig was dirty? It's a rug beater! In the days before electric vacuum cleaners became common, you would clean an area rug by picking it up, taking it outside, and giving it a couple whacks with this tool to shake out the dust and debris. Of course, rugs were only 4 to 7 feet in diameter and nobody had wall to wall carpeting back then. It seems like it would be hard to ever get your rug truly clean since I can't seem to get mine clean with a vacuum cleaner, but thank goodness we've got better methods these days!

#4 It is made of sheet tin with a spring clamp and a wooden handle. Now it is your turn. What is it?

This piece, in particular, was manufactured in 1898. It is 5 1/4âÂ€³ long x 3 1/2âÂ€³ deep. It is something you would probably never have any use for, even if you lived to be 300! But back in the 1800s apparently, people loved their nutmeg. That's correct, it is a Nutmeg Grater. Seems like so much work for something we just use one a year if that and can buy in a little can.

#5 This item is a tool that’s purposefully split down the middle with a spindle in between the two sides. Can you guess what it is?

You probably have never seen one before and can't imagine what it was used for. It was a popular item with women in the middle 1800's to the early 1900s. It stretched hats! Back when hats were a more common part of everyday dress, this tool could be used to make a store-bought hat that didn't quite fit just a little bit bigger. These days, custom hat makers use similar tools, but hardly anybody would think to have one in their home and you rarely see a woman with a hat on her head. Today they are used in mainly for making men's hat's!

#6 This peculiar cylindrical item is made of clay and has a cork in the top. It may look rustic, but it actually has an interesting purpose.

You could probably use one of these in the dead of Winter, but we have electrical devices and other things to keep our feet warm today. Yes, it's a foot warmer. Back when most homes were heated by fireplaces or stoves alone, a container like this would be filled with boiling water and placed at the foot of the bed to keep your feet warm through the night. It's an interesting item to be sure, but thank goodness these things aren't necessary anymore!

#7 This wooden handled metal utensil was used primarily in the kitchen but what is it?

It's from the early 1900s and was used to chop vegetables and fruits with. It has six metal blades in a wooden handle with a place to grip tightly as you hand chop your salads and other ingredients for soup or canning. It was known as a Treenware utensil, which were items made from wood and metal and used in the homes to make life easier. Thank god for blenders and food processors!

#8 It was manufactured in England and on the little nozzle that juts out extending from the middle of the item, it reads “10 1/2 Liters.” What is it?

Every home had one or two of these. It's a Carbide Bicycle Lamp. Made by Powell & Hanmar in Birmingham, England. They were used to supply light while riding a bicycle at night, but in America, they were also used as headlamps on cars or to light up a room like an attic or cellar before flashlights were ever invented.

#9 It’s a metal contraption that stands about a foot high, has a handle for portability, and contains discs of different colored glass.

It's a tool for testing eyesight! So, technically, people wouldn't have had these in their homes, but they were quite common at railroad stations, where they were used to gauge the eyesight of potential employees. Similar devices are still used in optometrists' offices to this very day!

#10 People used these to help keep their food hot or warm, but you can't tell what it is by the picture. Or can you?

It's actually two different items pictured. The Arctic Ice shaver no.33 Grey Iron casting co., Mount Joy PA made this blade set thru the bottom and could be used like a wood plane to shave off blocks of ice. This was when the iceman would deliver 50-pound blocks to your home for you to chip away at. As it filled up the lid just floated up and the continued shaving pushed the ice out the back. The Hot Iron Holder is made by PLEUGER & HENGER MFGCO. St Louis, MO. This was warmed up in the fireplace or in a stove to set under pans or bowls to keep them warm at the dinner table. Just like the hot plates we see sometimes today.

#11 You may have used one of these when you had your wine if you also served a snack. We still use them today, but what is it?

It's a cheese cutter and server from the 1950s! It has and original patina and handle that is wooden with little holes. These originally came to the USA from Italy where they were popular items from the early 1900s until people began using knives instead. The cutter also was used as a server because of its wide metal cutting surface. Many people still prefer using these today, though they look a little differently than they used to.

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