Mysterious plastic shark

January 6, 2009 6:59 PM

What is this blue plastic shark meant to do?

OK, I know this is sort of ridiculous...

Sitting on a friend's table today was the small (about 3"-4" long) plastic shark linked above. She got it a year ago in her Xmas stocking. It is made by the German company Koziol, which makes household products in whimsical shapes. (It is not included in the current online catalog.) This item is definitely whimsical, but she has no idea what practical function it is intended for.

The jaws do not open and close, so it can't be used for any kind of clip. There is nothing on it that could function as a bottle opener. It is too thick to be a letter opener. It is made of rigid plastic, and has a row of small raised dots inside its mouth. The eyehole goes straight through.

As far as I can tell, Koziol does not make any items that are just decorative. And this really looks like it's supposed to be used for something.

O, hivemind, can you you tell me: Of what use is this shark?

posted by neroli to home & garden (12 comments total)

Chip-clip.
posted by 517 at 7:02 PM on January 6

Really? As in for bags of chips? I guess it would work for that, but it doesn't really clip properly.
posted by neroli at 7:07 PM on January 6

Clothes-pin. For hanging your towel up to dry.
posted by bondcliff at 7:09 PM on January 6

If it's a chip clip, it's a poorly designed one. The fact that it's almost 4 inches long would make the clip top heavy since it would be positioned vertically and when placed on the bag, would make the bag fall over.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 7:10 PM on January 6

Hmm. Citrus peeler?
posted by limeonaire at 7:10 PM on January 6

Probably something you weren't meant to see. Or this. I dunno, I can't look at Photobucket.
posted by turgid dahlia at 7:14 PM on January 6

I'd go with letter opener, if it is able to cut paper. Such as the ones you use to open the side of the envelope, not slip under the flap.
posted by NikitaNikita at 7:15 PM on January 6

Or, uh, on preview, clothes pegs, totally. ;)
posted by NikitaNikita at 7:16 PM on January 6

This German web page (English machine translation) suggests it might be a laundry clip or clothespin.
posted by exogenous at 7:17 PM on January 6

Clothes Pin as seen here as well... (1991)
posted by stew560 at 7:20 PM on January 6

Yup, clothes pin:
http://www.koziol.de/wEnglisch/kollektion/kollektion_simply_summer.php
posted by springbound at 7:24 PM on January 6

Great work. Thanks all--I can sleep now.
posted by neroli at 7:25 PM on January 6