ADVERTISEMENT

If there's a problem, there's a solution. Of course, if the issue is very specific, a simple screwdriver probably won't do the trick. Luckily, human ingenuity has more to offer. A lot more. And you can see it all on the subreddit r/SpecializedTools.

It's an interesting corner of the internet, encouraging people to post photos of niche tools, created to make our lives better in situations where nothing else fits quite as well. A real delight to satisfy our curiosity.

#1

This Chair For People Who Love To Sit Cross-Legged

This Chair For People Who Love To Sit Cross-Legged

mtimetraveller Report

Most family garages probably have an assortment of tools and materials that could all be used to make, for example, a basic table for the backyard or even something more complex. The team at Dienamics, a company that specializes in industrial design, toolmaking, and manufacturing, says that tools are the backbone of modern industry and trade. They are essential in almost any construction project. However, we don't often stop to think about the process of making the tools themselves.

Many argue that in prehistoric times, one of the most important eras in our evolution was the utilization of basic tools. The earliest known human-made stone tools date back around 2.6 million years. Crafted and used by homo habilis (sometimes known as "handy man"), these implements marked the first in a series of major toolmaking advances among early human hunter-gatherer societies, lasting from the early Stone Age all the way up until the first modern humans, homo sapiens, made the transition to permanent agricultural settlements around 10,000 years ago. Tools allowed our ancient ancestors to have much more of an effect on the world around them, helping them to survive in more comfort, and achieve more with less.

ADVERTISEMENT

As we evolved as a species, so did our tools and our ability to use them. These two elements were essential to the development of infrastructure, which spurred the establishment of trades like carpentry and blacksmithing which relied on an individual mastering the use of a certain tool or trade. While hand tools were once forged out of the natural environment, these trades fine-tuned the creation of their tools using iron, wood and other metals which were heated and remolded.

These days, the process of creating tools is a lot more specific which, according to Dienamics, means there is a uniformity in material, size, and weight of hand tools which wasn't possible before. Now, a hand tool is designed on a computer, taking into account specific measurements and densities which make it both efficient and easy to use.

#5

Tree Mover

Tree Mover

Pushkatron Report

#6

A Lift To Help This Truck Driver Get In Cab

A Lift To Help This Truck Driver Get In Cab

memezzer Report

#7

Surgical Suture Training Pad

Surgical Suture Training Pad

mud_tug Report

#8

My Smallest And Largest Hex Keys For Working On Large Injection Molding Presses

My Smallest And Largest Hex Keys For Working On Large Injection Molding Presses

switchup Report

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
#9

A Norwegian Shoe Drying Machine

A Norwegian Shoe Drying Machine

Sacktimus_Prime Report

Add photo comments
POST
cip-iesan-67 avatar
Cip IESAN
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In fact, the device sucks the smell from the shoes and spread it all over the neighborhood...

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#10

Snow Clearing Machine For Trucks!

Snow Clearing Machine For Trucks!

screwywabbit Report

Add photo comments
POST
nfrlprdpr avatar
Mazer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It’s illegal in many states not to clear snow from the roof of a vehicle

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#11

To Test Large Crane Capacity We Use Giant Water Bags... Aka The Balls Of Judgment

To Test Large Crane Capacity We Use Giant Water Bags... Aka The Balls Of Judgment

flgsrockon Report

#12

In Case You Have Never Seen, These Baffle Balls Are Used Inside Water Trucks To Stop The Water From Sloshing Side To Side While Driving

In Case You Have Never Seen, These Baffle Balls Are Used Inside Water Trucks To Stop The Water From Sloshing Side To Side While Driving

NRGpop Report

#13

During The Australian Bushfires Any Water Source Can Be Used To Fight The Fires

During The Australian Bushfires Any Water Source Can Be Used To Fight The Fires

outdatedopinion Report

Add photo comments
POST
rjjecreek avatar
Jo Morris
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I saw water getting taken from water hazards on a neighbouring golf course during the Canberra Bushfires.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#14

You Saw My Largest And Smallest Hex Keys. These Are My Largest And Smallest Adjustable Wrenches!

You Saw My Largest And Smallest Hex Keys. These Are My Largest And Smallest Adjustable Wrenches!

switchup Report

#15

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

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

RampChurch Report

Add photo comments
POST
ner_diz avatar
Serial pacifist
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Titanium coated butter knife with internal copper alloy heat tubes". Really? Just to cut butter? What would you use for bread - a vibranium covered adamantium-made knife with a diamond-cutting laser beam?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#17

A Street Sign Cleaning Vehicle, Complete With Soap, Water, A Brush And Some Kind Of Reflective Wax (Or Something?). First Time Seeing One In Germany

A Street Sign Cleaning Vehicle, Complete With Soap, Water, A Brush And Some Kind Of Reflective Wax (Or Something?). First Time Seeing One In Germany

ToFFi57 Report

Add photo comments
POST
bp_10 avatar
WilvanderHeijden
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In German it's probably called a Verkehrschildreinigungsmaschine.

si-riemenschneider avatar
Tassenküchlein168
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And the driver is called Verkehrsschildreinigungsmaschinenfahrzeugführer and the co-driver Verkehrsschildreinigungsmaschinenfahrzeugführerassistent.

Load More Replies...
comerfordsamantha46 avatar
Samantha PandaNotBored
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We use rain . Not sure what days though. Mostly Mondays and bank holidays in the UK . Oh and in my birthday ALWAYS

petrikabellovoda avatar
CORLEONE
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Germany is living in 2050, they're way ahead of the game.👍🏼🇩🇪

kh_5 avatar
Sur Mer
Community Member
2 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Germans have in some fields rather the impression to live in the 1990s...

Load More Replies...
johnl_2 avatar
John L
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I loved the times I went to Germany. The only thing I didn't like was I could never find Ausgang, even though signs pointed to it everywhere.

diem_khanhgmx_net avatar
Happy_Pandalover
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i know your pain. I once drove half an hour to get out of an Ikea parking space.

Load More Replies...
franziska-birk avatar
Francis
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

as someone planning streets and manageing the cleaning teams, i wished we had this thing :D

johnc_1 avatar
John C
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Fun fact: those signs aren't shiny and reflective because of wax. It's a very deliberate and ingenious design that reflects light back in the direction it came from with incredible efficiency. I'm sure here they're just wiping the dirt off.

nami_tantrum avatar
Nami Tantrum
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

'Some Kind Of Reflective Wax' probably not.. they reflect on their own when clean :)

alex_davis_uwe avatar
robert-thornburrow avatar
Robert T
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have some seriously green signs round here that could do with it - and I don't mean environmentally friendly - they have whole ecosystems growing on them!

Load More Replies...
melayahm avatar
Caroline Driver
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't think we have them here, but maybe they do it at night and I've just never seen one

veronicashadlow avatar
Boris’ Mom
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

California, USA needs to get us some of these...!!!!! We only clean twice over 40 years.

roz_edelberg avatar
JustRoz
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

in the US we have trees growing over lots of road signs.... eliminates having to do this... lol

atlmainiac avatar
Martha Higgins
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have also seen a machine in German that mows the grass around the guard rails. Very innovative, efficient and effective!

lisachambers2018 avatar
Lisa Chambers
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Germans are very precise about their surroundings. I bet even those wildflowers were reviewed to ensure they could stay there. Everything, even in the remote mountain passes is very well taken care of, and I love it.

sd_mcculloch avatar
Smitten Kitten
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We think ourselves lucky that we have road signs I where I live, never mind clean ones.

akalvin avatar
Akalvin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hell yeah! It gets even better: https://www.mulag.de/de/strassenunterhaltung/anwendungen/waschen/

ner_diz avatar
m-kommel avatar
aj
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The hospital sign means that it's the same way as the police, it's only placed right next to the Polizei text for space reasons. We often have that, that there's only a picture and no text if the signs are too small and it's something generic like a Red Cross for hospital. Similarly the sign showing a factory on the top stands for "Gewerbegebiet" which is a part of town where there are no regular houses/flats but only shops and companies, you're not allowed to build a house and live there.

Load More Replies...
glirpy avatar
Glirpy
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’m sorry, but this is a huge waste of resources. These kinds of useless things are part of the reason we have global warming right now. Using tons of fuel and water to go around doing this. Signs don’t need to be cleaned this badly, especially in the nice weather shown in the photo. The rain washes things off just fine.

lindacowley avatar
Auntriarch
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not round here it doesn't. Some of the signs are so covered in algae they are illegible.

Load More Replies...
xevebek513 avatar
MichaelCFreeman
Community Member
2 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

We use rain . Not sure what days though. Mostly Mondays and bank holidays in the UK . Oh and in my birthday ALWAYS.....www.earn96.com

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#18

These Specialized Chain Tires That Are Used In The Extreme Heat Of Steel Mills

These Specialized Chain Tires That Are Used In The Extreme Heat Of Steel Mills

AristonD Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#20

My Buddy Made Me A Label Applicator. Just Passed 8000 Bottles/Labels

My Buddy Made Me A Label Applicator. Just Passed 8000 Bottles/Labels

JeF4y Report

#22

The Sasumata Is A Pole Weapon Used By The Samurai In Feudal Japan. It's Also Used Today To Safely Wrangle Anyone Posing A Threat To Civilians

The Sasumata Is A Pole Weapon Used By The Samurai In Feudal Japan. It's Also Used Today To Safely Wrangle Anyone Posing A Threat To Civilians

SAmtoogz Report

Add photo comments
POST
saragregory0508 avatar
NsG
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I misread this as "satsuma" and wondered how a small orange fruit could be used in crowd control... My bad.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#23

New Type Of Parking Enforcement On My Campus Replacing The Boot, Appropriately Named “The Barnacle”

New Type Of Parking Enforcement On My Campus Replacing The Boot, Appropriately Named “The Barnacle”

LiQuiD0v3rkiLL Report

Add photo comments
POST
keith-johnson avatar
KJ
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Curious about how its fixed to the windscreen, surely easier to remove?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#24

Bend Rules

Bend Rules

mtimetraveller Report

Add photo comments
POST
marysefaucher avatar
Maryse Faucher
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I got one of those from my dad tool box that I got after his passing. Strangely used it to make the corner when I sew

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#25

Tool That Allows One Man To Move The Whole Train By Hand

Tool That Allows One Man To Move The Whole Train By Hand

aloofloofah Report

Add photo comments
POST
shelleycole avatar
Moodles
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You'd like every train in the UK is moved like this ALL THE TIME judging by the constant delays

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#26

Barrel-Filling Bridge

Barrel-Filling Bridge

aloofloofah Report

#27

When A Guy Walks Into Your Office With This Thing Asking To Take A Reading. It's Called A Velometer, And Measures The Speed Of Air In A Given Area. He Kindly Allowed Me To Take A Photo

When A Guy Walks Into Your Office With This Thing Asking To Take A Reading. It's Called A Velometer, And Measures The Speed Of Air In A Given Area. He Kindly Allowed Me To Take A Photo

AzayakaCosplay Report

Add photo comments
POST
stienbabe avatar
Becky Samuel
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We're going to be seeing a lot more of this now that the importance of air flow in disease prevention has become more apparent.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#28

Nasa Pistol Grip Tool - A Cordless Power Screwdriver/Drill Used By Spacewalking Astronauts To Fix The Hubble Space Telescope And The International Space Station

Nasa Pistol Grip Tool - A Cordless Power Screwdriver/Drill Used By Spacewalking Astronauts To Fix The Hubble Space Telescope And The International Space Station

mikerowave Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#29

I Work In A Stem Cell Lab. This Is A Liquid Nitrogen Dry Shipper, Used To Transport Cryopreserved Products Like Stem Cells And Vaccines In -150c

I Work In A Stem Cell Lab. This Is A Liquid Nitrogen Dry Shipper, Used To Transport Cryopreserved Products Like Stem Cells And Vaccines In -150c

hiimkristina Report

#30

Using A Comb To Straighten Air Conditioner Fins

Using A Comb To Straighten Air Conditioner Fins

jefftatro1 Report

Add photo comments
POST
kennykulbiski avatar
Kenny Kulbiski
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, but no matter how many you bring to the job you won't have the right size, they take quite a bit of effort, and don't work on heavily smashed fins. Plus you're probably going to slip and slice your knuckles.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#31

Stenographer, The Machine The Court Reporters Use To Type Everything That Is Said There

Stenographer, The Machine The Court Reporters Use To Type Everything That Is Said There

mtimetraveller , Mike Gifford Report

Add photo comments
POST
franziska-birk avatar
Francis
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

can somebody explain me how it works and how the people know what they wrote?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#32

Spent Shotgun Shell Lawn Sweeper Picker-Upper

Spent Shotgun Shell Lawn Sweeper Picker-Upper

GI-Girl56 Report

#33

Pedestrian Catcher In 1920s

Pedestrian Catcher In 1920s

mtimetraveller Report

Add photo comments
POST
mcborge1 avatar
mcborge1
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can just imagine the narration. :D "And look at this hapless chap, we'll soon deal with him."

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#34

They're Childrens' Training Scissors. Like For Pre-Schoolers. The Extra Holes Are So A Grown-Up Can Co-Scissor And Help The Kid

They're Childrens' Training Scissors. Like For Pre-Schoolers. The Extra Holes Are So A Grown-Up Can Co-Scissor And Help The Kid

Mak_101 Report

#35

I'm A Dog Groomer. These Guys Are Chunkers Meant To Specifically "Chunk" Out The Thick Hair

I'm A Dog Groomer. These Guys Are Chunkers Meant To Specifically "Chunk" Out The Thick Hair

daisytrips Report

#36

Insulated Cryo Glove For Handling Very Cold Items (E.g. Liquid Helium). Like An Oven Mitt’s Cold Cousin

Insulated Cryo Glove For Handling Very Cold Items (E.g. Liquid Helium). Like An Oven Mitt’s Cold Cousin

phronimouse Report

#37

A Tool Used For Straw Roofing. Dutch Word For It Is 'Drijfbord'

A Tool Used For Straw Roofing. Dutch Word For It Is 'Drijfbord'

Moeiekoe Report

#38

For Right Handed, Left Eye Dominant Folks

For Right Handed, Left Eye Dominant Folks

robblokkit Report

Add photo comments
POST
pmcclellan avatar
NOLAHusker
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wonder if the rest of the world knows that hunting rifles exist in countries other than the US. Wouldn’t know it based on these comments.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#39

Ladies And Gentlemen, Allow Me To Present A Fabled “The Right Tool”. This Is The Only Tool That Can Be Used To Remove The Oil Filter Housing On A Lamborghini Gallardo

Ladies And Gentlemen, Allow Me To Present A Fabled “The Right Tool”. This Is The Only Tool That Can Be Used To Remove The Oil Filter Housing On A Lamborghini Gallardo

8jac0b88 Report

Add photo comments
POST
franziska-birk avatar
Francis
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

when you're so hyper special that you design a car that comes with its own tools :D

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#40

A Champagne Sabre, For Cutting The Tops Off Champagne Bottles

A Champagne Sabre, For Cutting The Tops Off Champagne Bottles

CitySquirrel202 Report

Note: this post originally had 49 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.