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Bored Panda

Adelė Davidonytė

“Japanese Butter Cube Cutter”: 50 Cool And Unusual Tools That Might Make Life Simpler And More Fun

Home tool kits once consisted of things like a hammer, screwdrivers, pliers, a drill and their similar friends. They could all be packed into a box, stored away and taken out when needed. Nowadays, tools are everywhere. From the kitchen to the bedroom, even the playroom and our pockets.

Some modern tools are so strange that you might struggle to figure out what they're designed to do. Others are the pure genius we've been waiting a lifetime for. Then there are those that solve problems we didn't even realize existed. Like who knew we needed a tool to hold down the flaps of a cardboard box while packing? Or a pickle jar with a built-in gadget for lifting pickles to the top?

People have been showing off their most unique, bizarre and awesome tools online, and Bored Panda has compiled a selection of the best. Many are a reminder that no matter what life throws at you, there's probably a gadget for that.

#1 I Asked My Dad For A Cordless Drill, And This Is What He Gave Me

If you've ever wondered down the aisles of a hardware store, paged through a kitchen gadget catalogue or gotten lost down a rabbit hole of online shopping, you might have noticed that there's a tool for almost everything.

For example, why use a simple knife to slice up an avocado pear when you can do it with a 3-in-1 fancy-shaped gadget? These kitchen tools are designed to split the fruit, remove the pit and evenly slice the flesh in one perfect motion. Your grandma might think it's completely unnecessary but then again, she'd possibly say the same about a rice or egg boiler (because a pot serves the same purpose, right?)

#2 My Chinese Food Came With A Chopstick/Fork Combo

#3 This Carpentry Tool With Pins To Outline A Shape

Many foodies and experts argue that modern kitchen gadgets are a must if you want to save time and effort.

"Chopping, peeling, and pressing ingredients by hand can be tedious, slow, and sometimes even frustrating. Gadgets like a handheld food chopper, ergonomic peelers, or a citrus press turn these repetitive tasks into quick, effortless motions that free you up to focus on cooking, plating, or simply enjoying the process," explains the Zulay Kitchen site.

Even better if you have multi-use tools like 5-in-1 kitchen scissors, which can slice herbs, trim meats, crack nuts, and even open bottles.

#4 A Little Hook Tool To Pull Through Those Tiny Straps That Come With A Lot Of Devices

#5 A Japanese Company Created Real Quality “1-Inch” Mini Tools

#6 Constrained Ball: This Tool Helps To Draw Straight Lines Without Using A Ruler

It's not only people reaping the benefits of snazzy and unique tools. Stroll through your local pet store and you might notice that Fido and Mr. Whiskers have a lot more choice nowadays than they once did.

For example, no more grubby paw-prints thanks to a thing that looks like a cup lined with soft bristles, otherwise known as a dog paw cleaner. After a dirty play session or a walk through the mud, simply put your pup's paw inside the cup, gently twist it and let the bristles do the rest.

#7 Thread-Cutting Scissors That You Can Keep In Your Hand Without Having To Take Them Off After Each Snip. Huge Time Saver And Very Ergonomic

#8 This Device Is Used To Measure Lengths On Maps. Simply Roll It Along Streets You Want To Use And It Tells You The Distance

#9 This Multi-Tool Llama

While some tools are seriously cool, others are simply a useless waste of money, time and space - or so certain people would argue.

Richard Ingraham is a personal chef to Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union and author of Love: My Love Expressed Through Food. There are a few kitchen tools the expert thinks you should toss, or not bother buying at all. Among them: pizza scissors.

"A pizza cutter or knife works better and faster," the chef told CNET recently. "These scissors are gimmicky, awkward to clean and take up more space than they're worth."

#10 New Tool For Screws And Nuts

#11 Cardboard Perforation Tool To Make New Folds/Custom Boxes

#12 This Tool That Keeps Books Propped Open

He'd also not advise wasting money on an electric potato peeler, which to be honest, I'd never even heard of until now. According to Ingraham, this gadget takes up "a surprising amount of space" and here's the kicker: he says it peels slower than a regular peeler. So, really... what's the point?

Other things that get a downvote from the chef include a butter cutter/dispenser, herb scissors, a pasta measurer, an egg separator, a garlic tube peeler and the good, old avo slicer we mentioned earlier.

#13 This Tiny Tool Is Used To Remove Orange Peels

#14 People Hate Popcorn Ceilings So Much That They Made A Whole Tool To Get Rid Of Them

#15 Found In Grandfather’s Tools. Plumb Bob, Used To Get A Vertical Line. Heavy Metal Object With A Rope Wrapped Around

For Kellogg's Diner Executive Chef, Jackie Carnesi, oven mitts are the most useless item in a home kitchen.

"A sturdy kitchen towel does the same job, and odds are, it's more likely to be washed regularly," she says. "I don't know many people who wash their oven mitts frequently enough... it seems many have deemed it an item that doesn't warrant regular cleaning. It does."

#16 This Titanium-Coated Butter Knife Has Internal Copper Alloy Heat Tubes. It’s Made To Heat Up When Held In Your Hand, So That It Is Easier To Spread Butter

#17 My Multi-Tool Hair Clip

#18 Before The Days Of Staunch Regulation, We Had Powermite! Actual Power Tools For Kids, 1969

At the end of the day, it's really a case of "to each their own" when it comes to what gadgets tickle your fancy. While some may think an avo slicer is a waste of time, others can't live without one. As long as your tools bring you joy, spark creativity, simplify your life, or do all three, you should always make space for them. The key is to not overdo it and to focus on quality rather than quality.

"It’s tempting to buy every gadget you see, but a few well-chosen, reliable tools outperform a kitchen full of cheap, single-use items," advises the Zulay Kitchen team. "High-quality gadgets work as intended, don’t break easily, and provide consistent results. By focusing on quality, you reduce clutter and make cooking a more enjoyable experience."

#19 This Tool Is Both A Hammer, A Hatchet, A Screwdriver, A Nail Puller, And Pliers

#20 Please Help Me Find A Company That Makes Custom Perforating Rollers Like This One

#21 A Shoe Stretcher That Can Make Shoes Wider And Longer

#22 Met A Truffle Hunter In The Peloponnese Mts. And Got A Chance To Snap A Picture Of His Truffle Shovels

The flat one is for white truffles, which tend to grow in softer soil, and the more spear-shaped one is for black truffles, which are found deeper and in more rocky soil.