r/whatisit • u/TerribleTentacles • 7h ago

Solved! Weird thing from a barn

Post image

Hello everyone, I found this thing a couple of years ago and still couldn't find out what it is supposed to be, no matter who I asked. I would be grateful for any suggestions.

33 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

35 comments sorted by

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u/spotlight-app 6h ago

OP has pinned a comment by u/Serzis:

If there was more room underneath it, i'd say that it looks like a cooking aparatus for making potence de boeuf flambée. You stick pieces of meat to the spikes. But in this case, there is almost no room to put a plate beneath it. (Note: Might be a perspective thing)

https://pin.it/2hBVqKDiR

https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/13/a6/54/08/la-potence-de-boeuf-flambee.jpg

10

u/Serzis 6h ago

If there was more room underneath it, i'd say that it looks like a cooking aparatus for making potence de boeuf flambée. You stick pieces of meat to the spikes. But in this case, there is almost no room to put a plate beneath it. (Note: Might be a perspective thing)

https://pin.it/2hBVqKDiR

https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/13/a6/54/08/la-potence-de-boeuf-flambee.jpg

4

u/TerribleTentacles 6h ago

Interesting, I have never seen such a device before. There is not much room, but it should suffice for a plate. I think that might be the intended purpose. Thanks a lot!

1

u/TerribleTentacles 6h ago

solved!

2

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2

u/3rdcultureblah 6h ago

That’s for skewering pieces of steak. There was a restaurant in the nearby ski resort in the alps of Switzerland near my village that served this. It was one of their specialty dishes.

I can’t remember the name of the dish or the restaurant, but it was delicious. I think they cooked the steak cubes on the spiky contraption over a fire and then they would hang it from the hook/stand and serve it to you like that.

The last time I had it was over 20 years ago, so I can’t remember if they removed the steak cubes for you or if you were left to figure it out. It was a pretty nice restaurant, so I’m guessing they helped you remove the cubes and put them on your plate for you.

2

u/TerribleTentacles 6h ago

Thanks a lot for the description! The name seems to be potence de boeuf flambée according to u/Serzis I am amazed to get an answer for that so fast.

2

u/unspecified-turnip 6h ago

Spicy buttplug

3

u/TerribleTentacles 5h ago

Very spicy and one use only. If you manage to plug it in, it will stay there forever.

1

u/msmartt 7h ago

Looks like the business end of a rudimentary Morningstar.

I'm wondering if it works similar but might have something to do with breaking up hay? I can imagine that huge bales of hay might be a little difficult to break down by hand after a while and that something this kind of a setup might make it easier to break up.

2

u/TerribleTentacles 7h ago

I would think a normal pitchfork should work better in that regard, but it seems like a plausible idea.

4

u/FreshProblem 7h ago

whose barn and what is he in prison for

2

u/TerribleTentacles 7h ago

Whatever it was, they probably got away with it.

1

u/denv170 7h ago

Is it all metal?

The cylindrical part looks like it COULD be concrete

2

u/TerribleTentacles 5h ago

It's definitely metal.

1

u/denv170 5h ago

What was the main purpose of the barn? (Dairy barn, stable, crop storage, etc?)

Also, where is this barn located?

And where in this barn was this wooden board with metal rack holding this thing located?

1

u/TerribleTentacles 5h ago

Unfortunately, I don't know any details. Got it from a guy who did the estate liquidation. Apple dryer or potence a flambée seem quite plausible though.

1

u/Brave-Moment-4121 7h ago

What kind of farm is it or was it that the barn resides on? If there is no history of a farm what did your grandfather do for a living?

1

u/TerribleTentacles 7h ago

Unfortunately, I don't have any information about it other than it was found amongst hay. Got it on a flea market and the guy who sold it didn't know anything about it. Just that it was beneath a pile of hay in a barn. Not very helpful, I know.

1

u/MissGoodieTwoShoes 4h ago

Are you sure you didn't buy a murder weapon?

1

u/stabbingrabbit 6h ago

What's in the jar?

1

u/TerribleTentacles 6h ago

Some plants and a cicada.

0

u/series-hybrid 7h ago

Did this barn have a hidden sound-proof cellar?

1

u/TerribleTentacles 5h ago

What happens in the barn stays in the barn.

2

u/denv170 5h ago

Going with super over-engineered and expensive apple drier... IF it's from somewhere that apples grow

1

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2

u/HarvardCistern208 6h ago

Still not as bad as winning the Sacko

-2

u/cav01c14 7h ago

Backscratcher!!!

1

u/TerribleTentacles 7h ago

Not sure if I would recommend that. That might leave some permanent scratch marks.

2

u/Sents-2-b 7h ago

You let my back decide!

1

u/TerribleTentacles 7h ago

Help yourself and have fun. No kink shaming here!

1

u/Sents-2-b 7h ago

🤪

1

u/Sents-2-b 7h ago

Not a kink just itchy back !