There are these odd metal objects my office mate keeps finding on the road

January 20, 2005 10:00 AM

There are these odd metal objects my office mate keeps finding on the road (+)

in parking lots, along roadsides. they quickly rust and are flat on one, worn or bevelled on the other.
th entire photographed collection was found within a block. we are at a university. there is a bus stop along that route. here are the pictures:
http://www.artistportfolio.ws/tmp/

posted by pissfactory to Grab Bag (11 answers total)

Dunno wtf they are, but they're gonna be hell on motorcycles. Does he find lots of these, or just rarely?
posted by five fresh fish at 10:04 AM on January 20, 2005

Those are street cleaner bristles, made of spring steel. You'll generally find a ton shortly after the street cleaner comes through.
posted by PaperDragon at 10:06 AM on January 20, 2005

Broken bristles/brushes from a street sweeper.
posted by sailormouth at 10:09 AM on January 20, 2005

Thirded. They make great lockpicks if you grind them down.
posted by metaculpa at 10:17 AM on January 20, 2005

In high school a friend once tried to convince me they were for male urethral stimulation. I can only hope he never tried it himself.
posted by blueshammer at 10:30 AM on January 20, 2005

Fourthed, and metacupla nails it. But when grinding them, you have to be careful to not let them get too hot.
posted by eriko at 10:45 AM on January 20, 2005

Response by poster: He finds tons of them.

Thanks!
posted by pissfactory at 11:38 AM on January 20, 2005

one of my old art teachers used to collect them and sharpen them. held a good point and were cheaper (free) than x-acto blades.
posted by Hackworth at 3:30 PM on January 20, 2005

I also collect them. I used to call the 'toys'. Now I call them 'picks' ;)

And Kudos to the forensic-style photography. Tre cool.
posted by bdave at 5:56 PM on January 20, 2005

*them* grrr
posted by bdave at 5:56 PM on January 20, 2005

Being spring steel they also make good thumb piano keys. Ideal for lock picks as others have said but when the cops ask you why you are collecting them say thumb piano.
posted by Mitheral at 11:35 AM on January 21, 2005