Mysterious Wooden Cylinders: A Historical Puzzle
A questioner described:
A solid wooden cylinder with metal rings at the top and bottom, quite heavy. We have two or three of them hanging outside on the walls of our old house in France.
More Insights from the Owner
Given their weight and loops, they might be weights. However, being solid wood makes them too heavy for tree use (the house has a large garden with trees). There are no other similar items around, so they might now serve as decorations.
The wood appears old and cracked, with rusted metal, making it hard to determine their exact age or if weathering caused their condition.
r/whatisthisthing – Solid wooden object in a cylindrical shape with metal rings both at the top and bottom, pretty heavy too. There are 2/3 of them hanging outside on the walls of our old house in france.
Community Opinions
They resemble mooring buoys, possibly linked to a sailor.
Used for pulling a chimney liner into a chimney.
Possibly had a wooden or leather disc on the reduced diameter sections.
Might relate to rope making.
Another guess is related to rope making.
Could be connected to a thatched roof.
A plug to prevent vertical pipes from filling with rain, though not cut at an angle.
Blocks for tethering horses in stalls.
Counterweights for self-closing stable gates.
Wooden post caps/covers that might have had decorative chains or ropes.
Similar to a “headache ball” for a hoist cable.
Guessing a sewage pipe cleanout.
Clarifying if there are 2 or 3.
Likely a floatable plug hooked with a chain, possibly for drainage.
Suggesting a cannon tampion.
Our Historic Home in France
Our old family house in the French countryside is rich with history and tradition. Among its many relics, these solid wooden cylinders with metal rings stand out. There are two or three of them hanging on the exterior walls, each a silent testament to the past.
r/whatisthisthing – Solid wooden object in a cylindrical shape with metal rings both at the top and bottom, pretty heavy too. There are 2/3 of them hanging outside on the walls of our old house in france.
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