What is this thing?

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Steel spring strip with 3 snaps at each end (ani.social)

submitted 6 hours ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

10 comments fedilink hide all child comments

We are stumped!

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 hours ago

The snaps on this are giving me major flashbacks, though I can't put my finger on anything specific. My mum was a seamstress and I'm sure I remember finding and playing with something exactly like this in her room as a kid back in the 80s. Will reply here if it comes back to me :) the fact it's adjustable to fixed intervals via the snaps seems too purposeful and practical, though - especially with the metal presumably giving rigidity to whatever it's used for.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Something to hold rilled up mats or pads or something? Adjustable to thicker materials or different sizes rolls maybe?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

I like this answer, and feel like I have seen something like it before.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Just makes logical sense looking at it. I can see like rolled up gymnastics mats or something.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 hours ago

Yeah, its quite old. We found it in a garment bag in an attic. I'm thinking it's for a mattress, except for the three separate sizes.

It reminds me of metal strapping bands, but no sharp bends from a pallet and the strapping bands have permanent clamps.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Could it be something to do with clothing, thinking like a hoop skirt? Or part of a tent structure maybe

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 hours ago

I was thinking about skirt hoops, but everything I see like it is painted and doesn't show snaps.

It could be it, since it is probably 40+ years old.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 hours ago (2 children)

Could be part of a prosthetic maybe? Google picture search has a lot of suggestions but no clear answers.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 hours ago

Don't think it could be anything for prosthetics, that type of steel would be too liable to cause a patient a wound, we tend to use things like leather or dacron for strapping.

Looks similar to strapping I seen for keeping rolls of sheet metal together.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 hours ago

Not sure, but there were three of them of varying size.