If it’s in a surplus bin, it may not be finished - for example, if it was meant to be a clothes hook, but someone noticed early in the production run that the hook was fitted upside down (or that the business end of the hooks had not had their corners rounded off before finishing), they may not have bothered adding the adhesive pad, etc.
In which case, the proper term for it may be ‘a reject’
Thanks for all the guesses so far. I will get another picture tonight that shows the scale. My original photo was intended for Google image search (which, as somebody else discovered, wants it to be a ping pong paddle), hence nothing else in the photo.
We tend not to get unfinished pieces/parts, so that is unlikely.
Wow, Google Image Search is a lot better than when last I used it, or it wouldn’t even have gotten that far.
Of course, if you try it again, it will now confidently tell you that it’s a Whatsit.
Have you tried asking your employer? Whoever bought the things must have known something about what they were originally. What use are you trying to sell them for?
Maybe they are disciplinary tools for wayward Dwarves.
Does this “visually similar” link work for others, or is it specific to my search session?
The link works. I didn’t really see anything too similar to the whatsit yhough
No, no great matches, but I was curious if a search based off a copy of the whatsit image I uploaded would work for people who aren’t in the same browser session that uploaded it.
For me, it’s close enough in design intent to some of these (despite differences in materials) - and I think it’s a reject because the hook is bent the wrong way.
That’s a plausible idea, except the OP says the surplus store received a “bazillion” of them. So how many rejects were there? Just how bad is the quality control at this factory?
Oddly shaped bookholder? Very poorly designed personal pan pizza peel?
If the base was stuck to or set level with a wall, that seems a good shape for holding something bulky but fairly light. One of those wood-lined saunas? Could hold your towel or maybe a handrail or lightweight pipe.
If used for holding something on the wall, the shape of the hook might not matter if you are supposed to use two of them, and the item is to rest inside the hook between them. Something long, skinny, and fairly light, like a fishing rod.
I know you say that you don’t usually get unfinished items, but to me it looks like it could be part of a retail display unit, wherein these items would stand up in little slots, acting as little signs. In that case, these would be missing the rest of the display unit that would hold merchandise. If the manufacturer discontinued a certain display model, they might have a bunch of these little doodads left over. Toss 'em, or see if anyone can find a use for them, I guess.
I guess we might want to seek clarification on whether that’s a British bazillion or an international bazillion.
Just as a nautical mile is somewhat longer and more damp than the counterpart on land.
My guess is that it is an insert for displaying hats. As photographed, it is upside down. The curved wooden tongue would fit in the slot of a cabinet, closet or sales rack and the hat would be placed over the wooden disk.
However the grain on the handle portion suggests to me that the curviture on the handle was formed by steam heating and bending the wood.
That sounds like a lot of extra work for a little display sign. A popsicle stick glued to the back would have sufficed.
This is rather intriguing.
It’s a Brazilian bazillion.
Or maybe shoes? (Heel goes over the tongue?)
Yeah, maybe. It looks like something used for displaying a product in a store to me.