A curious kitchen find has caught the attention of a Reddit user: “Small yellow comb-like item with long metal prongs found in a kitchen drawer. It has a hole in one end and a stamp that says ‘Made in Hong Kong’ I believe. What is this?”
At first glance, this description might make it sound like a basic kitchen tool—maybe a utensil for hair or an odd gadget with a funky design. However, given its metal prongs, yellow color, and stamp from Hong Kong, it’s clear that there’s something more going on here. Let’s dive into what this item might actually be and why it ended up in a kitchen drawer!
1. A Vintage Egg Slicer or Egg Separator
One of the first possibilities that comes to mind for this mysterious item is that it could be an egg slicer or an egg separator. Egg slicers have been around for many years, and they’ve often been made with a series of thin metal wires or prongs that help slice through soft foods like eggs or fruits.
Given the comb-like shape and the long metal prongs, this item could be a vintage egg slicer. The hole at one end could be for hanging the tool on a hook in the kitchen or storing it in a drawer for easy access. It’s likely that the design was meant to provide a simple and clean cut through boiled eggs, which were a common part of many kitchen routines.
Alternatively, it could be an egg separator, where you crack the egg and the prongs help separate the egg white from the yolk. While not as common today, these tools were once popular for preparing ingredients for recipes that required separate yolks and whites.
2. A Corn or Cob Cleaner
Another potential explanation is that this tool could be a corn on the cob cleaner. The long metal prongs could be used for cleaning or scraping kernels from a cob of corn, and the yellow color might have been a playful design choice often seen in kitchen tools of the 1960s to 1980s.
Some corn cob cleaners had a comb-like design to help grip and remove the kernels without damaging the cob. The hole at the end might be there to hang it after use or to give it a convenient storage option. This would make sense if the item was an inexpensive, mass-produced kitchen tool, as many “Made in Hong Kong” products from the mid-20th century were affordable and functional everyday items.
3. A Vintage Pastry Tool: Pastry Fork or Dough Divider
Given that it’s a kitchen tool, another possibility is that this object might have been used for pastry or dough work. The metal prongs might be designed to cut, mix, or separate dough, and the hole could be for easy storage. Some pastry tools from the 1950s-70s had this kind of comb-like design for use in the kitchen, particularly for tasks like mixing fat into flour or shaping dough. It’s also possible that this item was used as a pastry fork, designed for gently lifting dough or other ingredients.
The yellow color would fit the time period when many kitchen items were made in vibrant, bright hues. It’s possible this was a quirky but useful tool for anyone who loved baking!
4. A Vintage Cheese Slicer
Cheese slicers with prongs or comb-like designs were also popular in some households, especially during the mid-20th century. This item might have been a cheese slicer designed to make thin slices of soft cheese. Some older cheese slicers had prongs that would grip the cheese while the slicer moved through it. The hole at the end could be for hanging the slicer after use, a common feature of many kitchen tools at the time.
This theory is especially plausible if the prongs on the item are wide enough to handle the soft texture of cheese without too much force. The small size of the object would also make it a good fit for cutting small blocks or slices of cheese for snacking or cooking.
5. A Fish Scaler
Another possible use for this object could be as a fish scaler. The long metal prongs could help remove scales from fish, a common tool in kitchens that prepared fresh fish. This tool would have been especially useful for scaling small fish, and the hole at the end would be perfect for hanging it in the kitchen for quick access when preparing fish dishes.
Fish scalers with a comb-like design were also commonly made in the 1950s and 1960s, and the Made in Hong Kong stamp was typical of many small, functional kitchen tools from that period.
6. A Garden Tool (Maybe a Small Rake)
Though it might seem out of place in a kitchen, another theory is that this object could be a small rake or weeding tool used for gardening. Some old-fashioned garden tools had metal prongs and were designed for gripping or removing small plants or weeds from garden beds. The hole at the end would make it easy to hang the tool for storage when not in use.
The fact that it was found in a kitchen drawer could just be a case of the tool being stored there for convenience, or perhaps it had a dual-purpose as a small kitchen tool and garden gadget.
7. A Novelty Item or Decoration
Lastly, while not a typical kitchen tool, it’s possible that this item was a novelty piece or decorative item meant to look like a functional object but had no real purpose. In the 1970s and 1980s, many products were designed for kitschy appeal, and it’s possible that this was just a cute or fun piece added to the kitchen collection.
Some items from this period were meant to be quirky conversation starters or vintage-inspired gadgets, and the yellow color and metal prongs could just be an eye-catching design meant to make a statement.
Conclusion: A Kitchen Tool with a Story
While we may never know for certain what the exact function of this item was, it’s clear that it was likely a vintage kitchen tool, produced for a specific purpose. Based on its metal prongs, hole for hanging, and Made in Hong Kong label, it was probably a mass-produced item from the mid-20th century, when inexpensive and functional gadgets were a dime a dozen in kitchens across the world.
Whether it was an egg slicer, pastry tool, cheese slicer, or even a fish scaler, this little yellow item undoubtedly had a place in the kitchen—and likely played a key role in helping someone prepare meals with precision and care. If you happen to uncover more details about its design or origin, it might just be the key to unlocking its exact history.
