# Name that kitchen gadget! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 20, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-kitchen-gadget/554357 "2010-09-20T02:08:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-kitchen-gadget/554357/1 "2010-09-20T02:08:33Z")
My mom found this thing at the church rummage sale. (Shot next to a CD for size reference) [thing](http://www.flickr.com/photos/zipperjj/5006259305/) It’s got 2 shaped pieces of metal on each side, both shaped similarly but one side smaller than the other. The sides are about 90 degrees of each other. [thing side 1](http://www.flickr.com/photos/zipperjj/5006862818/) [thing side 2](http://www.flickr.com/photos/zipperjj/5006862782/) Along the back of the thing are two pieces of curved metal, with a slight space between them. One side has teeth the other is smooth/sharp. [thing back 1](http://www.flickr.com/photos/zipperjj/5006862710/) [thing back 2](http://www.flickr.com/photos/zipperjj/5006862782/) I am convinced this is some sort of fruit implement. I haven’t tried passing the teeth over an apple, or scooping out the insides of an apple with it. But it might be for something more specific, like a pitted fruit. The closest thing I could find online to this tool is [this](http://www.amazon.com/Oxo-Grips-Fruit-Vegetable-Corer/dp/B000YDO2IO/ref=sr_1_22?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1284947301&sr=1-22). I figured you guys could tell me exactly what this is for. It looks positively useful for something! ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-kitchen-gadget/554357/2 "2010-09-20T04:57:47Z")
I think it’s for pears. The wider round part is for taking out the center of the pear (after slicing it in 2 pieces, of course) and the narrower part is for taking out the part around the stem and that stringy part (I don’t know what it’s called) along the other half of the pear. When I was a kid my mother canned pears every year. We would peel them, and then cut them in two and take out the insides, and then cook/can them. We had an implement similar to this, except the two parts were directly opposite each other, instead of being at an angle like this. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-kitchen-gadget/554357/3 "2010-09-20T12:33:14Z")
Yep, it’s an old variant of a pear corer. Looks like this one also incorporates a peeler. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-kitchen-gadget/554357/4 "2010-09-22T01:47:44Z")
Whatever it is, I want it! Do you know the manufacturer’s name? Maybe Google it so we can see if it’s still being manufactured? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-kitchen-gadget/554357/5 "2010-09-22T02:20:19Z")
There is not a single mark on the thing! No indication that it was ever made here on Earth. I did Google “pear corer” and didn’t find one matching tool. The church rummage sale didn’t go too well, so I am willing to part with it for one million dollars 🙂