Strange Historical Tools

Historically, women needed a hat for any outfit. Hats grew bigger and heavier, requiring extra support to stay on the head.

Enter the hat pin.

Hat pins averagedIt measures about 8 inches long.These pins had sharp points. People pushed them through the hat and hair to secure it. The pin's end often got decoration; that was the only part visible.

Women at home did not want to lose their essential hat pins. So, hat pin holders became needed on a vanity. People decorated or painted these to show off the pins.

People took smoking very seriously back then. Since it was a daily habit, wealthy people wanted to show off their tobacco in detailed, ornate holders.

Some people needed portable options for this.These included engraved cigarette cases.Others wanted a larger display item for their homes, like the owner of this brass man.

Speculation suggests the man's backpack, perhaps Sir Walter Raleigh's, heldwhere the matches were stored.

Matches are very safe and predictable now in the last 100 years. This was not always true.

In the mid-1800s, friction matches often sat loose in pockets or bags. Matches would light unexpectedly when they rubbed against each other or another material.

To make these matches easier to carry, match safes were invented.The safes kept matches unlit, as their name implies. These safes became popular globally. Cheap tin served the lower class, while high-end ivory or mother of pearl options existed for the upper class.

In the early 1800s in the United States, whaling was a major business. Estimates placed the number of whales killed per year at10,000 whales.The massive demand came partly from learning how well whale oil burned.

Light was hard to find then. Other animal fats produced much smoke or gave little light when burned. Whale oil burned brightly, cleanly, and lasted longer than alternatives.

Special lamps made of glass burned the whale oil.The lamps were made of glass.The hole at the top of this blue lamp likely held a cap to secure the wick.

Fire sprinklers existed in the 1800s. They had a version: glass fire grenades.

A glass fire grenade was an ornate glass bulb you could hold. The inside of the grenade held salt water.

If a fire starts, grab a grenade from the shelf. Throw it at the fire's base. Each bulb only...about a pint of water.You likely needed several grenades to stop a fire.

People used these glass fire grenades by hanging several on ceiling brackets. Fire heat broke the glass or melted wax, releasing contents onto the blaze, like modern sprinklers.

In the late 1700s, people began understanding dental hygiene mattered for health. Toothbrushes then became popular for those who could pay.

The bristles for these early toothbrushes came from the shoulders and necks of wild hogs.The brush itself was often a hand-crafted metal, like the silver in this photo.By World War II, strong teeth were required to join the army; men could not eat tough rations without them. Plastic toothbrushes became available because of this.

World War II changed things.The two marble holders are called a straight-razor sharpener.A person draws the razor blade through the marbles repeatedly; the marbles supposedly sharpen the blade.

In reality, the marbles did not touch the razor edge; they hit the side. This action realigned the damaged edge, extending the blade's life.

The tool worked, but it did not perform as advertised.Residents in the early 20th century could not check the weather forecast to decide on an umbrella. They used a storm glass instead.Storm glasses mix water, alcohol, and chemicals like camphor, potassium nitrate, and ammonium chloride. Encased in glass, the liquid reacts to pressure changes, showing upcoming weather.

These show a few appearances the liquid can take, and what they mean.

In the early 20th century, heroin was seen as a 'wonder drug' instead of an addictive, dangerous substance.

Bayer Co. put heroin on the market in 1898, advertising it as a painkiller. People began injecting the opiate for stronger effects.

This meant it was normal for people to have travel opiate syringe sets to carry their 'medicine' while moving.

Cosmoline first appeared in the late 19th century as an ointment for treating wounds.Over time, the formula changed; by the mid-1900s, Cosmoline stopped protecting skin and started protecting metal.The change in Cosmoline's job came from a need in World War I to stop machinery from rusting. Cosmoline became the market's top anti-rust protectant after a few changes.

Early in the 20th century, heroin was not seen as addictive or dangerous. People called it a “wonder drug.”

Bayer Co. put heroin on the market in 1898.Bayer Co. put heroin on the market in 1898.Bayer Co. advertised it as a painkiller. People began injecting the opiate to get stronger drug effects.

This meant people having the drug was not abnormal.Travel opiate syringe sets existed.People used these sets to carry their “medicine” while moving.

Cosmoline began as an ointment in the late 1800s.People used Cosmoline to treat wounds..

The formula later changed to a heavier substance. By the mid-1900s, Cosmoline stopped protecting skin; it started protecting metal.

The change in Cosmoline's job came froma need during World War I.People needed Cosmoline to stop machinery from rusting. A few changes made Cosmoline the top anti-rust protectant.

Amber coats the substance. Air hardens it, making it brown over time. The waxy coating on these scissors is old Cosmoline.