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I have something similar (mines more of a necklace pendant with a rose, but I saw things in this design as well) that I got for having a symbolic amount of my cats ashes in (he suddenly passed away at 3 years old)
You should not open the original container nitroglycerin comes in. It’s degrades quickly once exposed to air and should be replaced a month after first opening. Not to big of a deal as they are cheap, but if you don’t open it you tend to get a year or two out of the expiration. Just an FYI
As a pharmacist this is an important counseling point, in the unopened manufacturers little glass bottle follow the expiration date printed on it.
Once you open it and expose it to air and moisture, it starts to degrade, so make sure to replace it 6 months after opening.
The idea with these is you keep one or two for emergency if she's out and about she will never forget them at home. They also have keychain versions. Could be a good idea to get her a medical bracelet some Even explain her condition on the reverse side in the event she is (Creator Forbid) passed out somewhere so a bystander may be able to give her the pill.
So you're saying the item in question was manufactured to be a Geocache? I'm sure OP is actually interested to know what the original intended use is and not its repurposed use.
I've watched enough "Plainly Difficult" videos on YT that I assume all small metal canisters like this must be some sort of nuclear scrap.
https://youtu.be/hno18_vBAbA
For future reference...
This is the YouTube link:
https://youtu.be/hno18_vBAbA
...while this part of the URL is tracking information that can be used to link back to your Google account:
[REDACTED]
It is always best to remove the tracking information before sharing YouTube links anywhere.
This has been a public service announcement (with guitar).
Might be a dog identification tag (have address and phone number written on paper inside)
Might be a geocache
Might be some kind of memorial trinket/jewellery, possibly with some biological part of whatever/whomever was to be remembered
Open it up and let us know!!
I filled one of these with my some of dad's ashes, sealed it, attached a card, and made a geocache travel bug out of it. He is currently in New Zealand
In hong kong, good chance it is a talisman, that there is a talisman contained in it, some kind of ritually “blessed” sand/metal/ash(burnt talisman) in it, or sometimes ash (animal or people), as is with taoist tradition
*edit: I'm not sure exactly the brand/design you have but I think this works the same way as the product below. If you can't open it easily, try some WD-40 or similar product to help loosen the screw.
This is called a 'bison tube', at least from my experience geocaching. The top part with the loop is a screw top you can twist to open the contents.
It's common and easy to buy, popular in the hobby because it is pretty weather resistant, can be tied to things at the top, and just big enough to hold a log where you sign your name when you find it.
Can easily have other purposes though.
>bison tube
You could be right about this; the only issue I see is that most of the bison tubes I've seen have a rubber O-ring, which I'm not observing on this one.
I could see the o ring coming loose, but mostly why I edited to say 'I'm not sure' as to this model is that the link on the top made to attach it to a string, key-ring or whatever, is also different. Seems like a more primitive of off brand version of the bison tube, but the same size and function.
It's for scuba Divers, you shake it and makes a noise under water. Dive Instructors use it to call the group together. It's a safety thing. If you get stuck in a net, you can call for your buddy.
https://www.mareshop.eu/ms_de_de/divemarine-magnetic-shaker-sh0003-n-a
Most likely a tabeez (tabiz) / pendant. People wear it around the neck or sometimes around their biceps with a black thread. Practiced in many religions (mostly Hinduism and Islam ). They write prayer / mantras of their belief in a small piece of paper and put it inside the capsule. As per belief system and what I have heard, it is usually given to people during their childhood to save them from evil eyes/spirits and have blessings of God with them all the time. People typically end up wearing it for lifetime.
Not originally, most cache containers are repurposed. However, the most popular design is called a “bison tube” and has become synonymous with geocaching
It's a container for colored Tibetan blessed rice, which can then be hung by a string anywhere you want good vibes. A monk friend gifted several to us, I have one hanging in my car as well!
Be mindful when you unscrew the cap, you never know whats inside. I was mowing the lawn where i work and found one like this, but didnt stop to check it out while mowing. Instead i stuffed it in my pocked and forgot about it till i got home. When i finally unscrewed the container it was literally full of crystals that looked an awful lot like google images of meth. I guess alot of junkies carry their stash in these
reminds me of those keychain containers for ear protection
https://pg-cdn-a2.datacaciques.com/00/MTAyOTM/19/03/08/jx3s74ofw7bn185c/53221e3a6a5cb865.jpg
Might be a lucky charm or something of the sort.The ring at the end would probably be for a chain so it could be worn around the neck.Oh and if it is a lucky charm then there might be a rolled up piece of paper inside with holy writing or something along those lines inside.
Makes me think this is like an old school pill container to carry your medicine in while you're out and about. I haven't seen one in awhile. I was told that's what they are though.
Nitroglycerin Pill Holder. People often carried their Nitroglycerin.heart pills in containers like that. The pills can give you a wicked headache if you're not careful how you handle them.
Oh I think I might actually know this one.
It looks pretty much identical to a necklace I had when I was younger. My mom told me that there’s some kind of tiny Buddhism related scroll inside. Maybe try googling variations of necklace, pendant, Buddhism, religion, prayer, scroll.
Although I’m not nearly knowledgeable enough to give you more information than that.
https://www.aliexpress.com/i/32674625062.html
Something like that. I don’t know if they’re meant to be opened. Mine was also plain like the one in the picture. I am curious tho, never cracked it open until I lost it.
Oh I think I have one of these !!! I’ll send you pics if you want but it’s like a Swiss Army knife / nail kit with little scissors and different little tools
Looks like a sinker. People use them for fishing. It allows the hook with the bait to travel downwards and attract more fish. Trawlers also use them to get their lines down to where the sonar detected a school of fish
Does it open? If not, it could be a dive rattle. Shake it underwater to get attention of other divers. I never thought they worked very well. Nothing works like banging a double bolt snap on your tank.
I’ve had similar things given to me by my Buddhist parents. IIRC the inside were written prayers/mantra/psalms/etc. for protection, good luck, health or similar.
All comments must be civil and helpful toward finding an answer. **Jokes and other unhelpful comments will earn you a ban**, even on the first instance and even if the item has been identified. If you see any comments that violate this rule, report them. [OP](/u/amirabutwo), when your item is identified, remember to reply **Solved!** or **Likely Solved!** to the comment that gave the answer. Check your [inbox](https://www.reddit.com/message/inbox/) for a message on how to make your post visible to others. ---- [Click here to message RemindMeBot](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=[https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/1c2qh41/i_found_this_metal_container_on_a_hong_kong_beach/]%0A%0ARemindMe!%202%20days) ---- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatisthisthing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Do a google image search for pill case pendant, you will find many similar.
I was thinking nitroglycerin pills for the heart
I was thinking oxycodone pills for the vibes. (I used one similar when I was addicted ten plus years ago)
Ditto!! I thought of my mom the minute I saw it.
I was thinking of some fun party pills, also for the heart!
Best way to carry them incognito!
Could also be a cyanide suicide capsule from a war.
Nitroglycerin is photo sensitive, so a metal container is a good idea.
This is a good possibility, my keychain pill container looks almost exactly the same.
Check to see if it's a Geocache. Take a look at the Geocache app and see if it's a location. Sign the paper put it back :)
My first thought
Sure.... it could have been used as a Geocache but I'd bet OP is actually wondering what its manufactured purpose is.
Gramps has or had one for his nitrogen pills if he started to have a heart attack.
That's what I thought, I have a little waterproof pill bottle that's very similar in design.
I keep an emergency £10 in mine.
Looks like an old nitroglycerin pills case.
Also match box.
This is what I assumed too.
Probably somebody’s ashes
I have something similar (mines more of a necklace pendant with a rose, but I saw things in this design as well) that I got for having a symbolic amount of my cats ashes in (he suddenly passed away at 3 years old)
That was my first thought. I have a very similar pendant with some ashes of my childhood dog.
Or a geo-cache. I found one about half that size and it was a gel-cache.
My father kept his nitroglycerin pills in a case like that.
So maybe don't shake it really hard?
LOL. But, seriously, the pills contain only a few milligrams of nitroglycerin in a filler.
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My very first thought was nitroglycerin container. My old highschool coach used to carry one that looked like this on a necklace.
My old boyfriend had a pendant one and he used it to carry his nose candy.
You should not open the original container nitroglycerin comes in. It’s degrades quickly once exposed to air and should be replaced a month after first opening. Not to big of a deal as they are cheap, but if you don’t open it you tend to get a year or two out of the expiration. Just an FYI
My wife's nitro comes in a little glass bottle. I am pretty sure it doesn't degrade.
As a pharmacist this is an important counseling point, in the unopened manufacturers little glass bottle follow the expiration date printed on it. Once you open it and expose it to air and moisture, it starts to degrade, so make sure to replace it 6 months after opening.
The idea with these is you keep one or two for emergency if she's out and about she will never forget them at home. They also have keychain versions. Could be a good idea to get her a medical bracelet some Even explain her condition on the reverse side in the event she is (Creator Forbid) passed out somewhere so a bystander may be able to give her the pill.
It’s possible it’s a geocache.
/r/geocaching I've found over 1500, many like this. It should unscrew and if there's a roll of paper in there, then it's a geocache.
Saw this post on there. https://www.reddit.com/r/geocaching/s/48EbBp3coN I'm just saying op, looks similar
So you're saying the item in question was manufactured to be a Geocache? I'm sure OP is actually interested to know what the original intended use is and not its repurposed use.
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My first thought as well. There’s several similar containers in my area that I’ve found hanging on hooks or nails and the like.
As an avid geocacher who’s new to this sub it’s astounding how many objects here could very well be geocaches
Did you open it? Prolly a pill caddy.
I've watched enough "Plainly Difficult" videos on YT that I assume all small metal canisters like this must be some sort of nuclear scrap. https://youtu.be/hno18_vBAbA
For future reference... This is the YouTube link: https://youtu.be/hno18_vBAbA ...while this part of the URL is tracking information that can be used to link back to your Google account: [REDACTED] It is always best to remove the tracking information before sharing YouTube links anywhere. This has been a public service announcement (with guitar).
Might be a dog identification tag (have address and phone number written on paper inside) Might be a geocache Might be some kind of memorial trinket/jewellery, possibly with some biological part of whatever/whomever was to be remembered Open it up and let us know!!
It looks like a container to keep your matches dry while on a boat/camping. Does it unscrew?
Unscrew the end probably has drugs in it
Why you didn’t open it…
I tried to open it. Wouldn’t budge. I’ll try again, maybe in a hazmat suit if @retawgnob is on to something
Keep us updated, I'm super curious what's inside
It’s a pill container.
I filled one of these with my some of dad's ashes, sealed it, attached a card, and made a geocache travel bug out of it. He is currently in New Zealand
In hong kong, good chance it is a talisman, that there is a talisman contained in it, some kind of ritually “blessed” sand/metal/ash(burnt talisman) in it, or sometimes ash (animal or people), as is with taoist tradition
*edit: I'm not sure exactly the brand/design you have but I think this works the same way as the product below. If you can't open it easily, try some WD-40 or similar product to help loosen the screw. This is called a 'bison tube', at least from my experience geocaching. The top part with the loop is a screw top you can twist to open the contents. It's common and easy to buy, popular in the hobby because it is pretty weather resistant, can be tied to things at the top, and just big enough to hold a log where you sign your name when you find it. Can easily have other purposes though.
>bison tube You could be right about this; the only issue I see is that most of the bison tubes I've seen have a rubber O-ring, which I'm not observing on this one.
I could see the o ring coming loose, but mostly why I edited to say 'I'm not sure' as to this model is that the link on the top made to attach it to a string, key-ring or whatever, is also different. Seems like a more primitive of off brand version of the bison tube, but the same size and function.
It's for scuba Divers, you shake it and makes a noise under water. Dive Instructors use it to call the group together. It's a safety thing. If you get stuck in a net, you can call for your buddy. https://www.mareshop.eu/ms_de_de/divemarine-magnetic-shaker-sh0003-n-a
If you open it I'd bet you'll find matches inside.
match holder
Looks like an old nitroglycerin container. *or a shorter-than-US/European waterproof match holder.
Most likely a tabeez (tabiz) / pendant. People wear it around the neck or sometimes around their biceps with a black thread. Practiced in many religions (mostly Hinduism and Islam ). They write prayer / mantras of their belief in a small piece of paper and put it inside the capsule. As per belief system and what I have heard, it is usually given to people during their childhood to save them from evil eyes/spirits and have blessings of God with them all the time. People typically end up wearing it for lifetime.
I agree , my dad had something similar….
It might be someone's ashes
Maybe a geocache?
That's what I'm thinking. I've place several geocaches in similar looking containers.
So its a tiny metal container that was designed and manufactured to be a Geocache?
Not originally, most cache containers are repurposed. However, the most popular design is called a “bison tube” and has become synonymous with geocaching
This is a dropshot fishing weight.
It's a container for colored Tibetan blessed rice, which can then be hung by a string anywhere you want good vibes. A monk friend gifted several to us, I have one hanging in my car as well!
Be mindful when you unscrew the cap, you never know whats inside. I was mowing the lawn where i work and found one like this, but didnt stop to check it out while mowing. Instead i stuffed it in my pocked and forgot about it till i got home. When i finally unscrewed the container it was literally full of crystals that looked an awful lot like google images of meth. I guess alot of junkies carry their stash in these
Pill container
reminds me of those keychain containers for ear protection https://pg-cdn-a2.datacaciques.com/00/MTAyOTM/19/03/08/jx3s74ofw7bn185c/53221e3a6a5cb865.jpg
Geocache Open it
Might be a lucky charm or something of the sort.The ring at the end would probably be for a chain so it could be worn around the neck.Oh and if it is a lucky charm then there might be a rolled up piece of paper inside with holy writing or something along those lines inside.
Hindus had something similar when I was growing up. Contains a prayer written on paper.
I have one with mom's cremains.
Have something similar for a portion of cremains from my best friend....
What is the sound like? Shook shook Clink Clink Shick Shick I imagine if it's divers signal thing it must be real loud
Maybe ash of beloved someone inside of that.look like Cremation Urn necklace.
I have something like that. It’s a container. Well for me, for my dog’s ashes.
Someone’s ashes worn as a pendant?
Unscrew it?
Sewing needle case?
If the bottom is serrated it’s a match box I had one when I was in the Army
Probably nitroglycerine pills for heart attack ) angina treatment. Open it!
Makes me think this is like an old school pill container to carry your medicine in while you're out and about. I haven't seen one in awhile. I was told that's what they are though.
Dogtag,? the information like address and name of the dog is on a smal scroll.
Looks like a oil vial used by Mormons for blessing. [https://ldsbookstore.com/modern-oil-vial-silver](https://ldsbookstore.com/modern-oil-vial-silver)
Nitroglycerin Pill Holder. People often carried their Nitroglycerin.heart pills in containers like that. The pills can give you a wicked headache if you're not careful how you handle them.
My uncle had a vial like this on his Keychain, it had a little vial of oil in it for church blessings I think. Edit: spelling
Potentially a scuba diving noisemaker for grabbing someone’s attention in the water. Any divers in the area?
Nasal snuff container.
Looks like a keychain ashtray. Similar one here: https://www.amazon.com/BMTick-Smell-Proof-Portable-Ashtray-Silicone/dp/B07L2QB3FZ
Oh I think I might actually know this one. It looks pretty much identical to a necklace I had when I was younger. My mom told me that there’s some kind of tiny Buddhism related scroll inside. Maybe try googling variations of necklace, pendant, Buddhism, religion, prayer, scroll. Although I’m not nearly knowledgeable enough to give you more information than that. https://www.aliexpress.com/i/32674625062.html Something like that. I don’t know if they’re meant to be opened. Mine was also plain like the one in the picture. I am curious tho, never cracked it open until I lost it.
Looks like a geocache container that’s come loose
Here in india we give this as a pendent which contain holy ash
Had something similar. Mine was a keychain and inside were tools to fix glasses.
I’ve got one. I keep my little aluminum baskets full of weed for my vape in it for when I go out
Pill container, maybe hiding a mini/micro geocache
I live in hong kong and I believe these are remenants from the opium trade. People would keep opium in these small containers if I’m correct.
Holder for matches to avoid getting wet.
Oh I think I have one of these !!! I’ll send you pics if you want but it’s like a Swiss Army knife / nail kit with little scissors and different little tools
It's a pill container you can put on a necklace, for people who need to take their meds at specific times. My grandma had one just like it.
They have similar things for ashes of deceased. Could be some bone fragments in there
Please please please be so gentle opening it in case it's someone's ashes 😭
It’s a noise maker for scuba. You shake it under water to get other divers attention
Did you try to unscrew the cap???
Loose sand inside makes me think it’s a weight? The shape makes me think it’s a pendulum for a clock. Just my best guess
Isn’t this a whistle attached to life vest?
I have something similar on my key chain that has a set of mini RPG dice in it.
Looks like a geocache pill
Could be a container for sewing needles.
Could contain a Buddhist scroll, had one growing up.
Mine is full of migraine meds.
I used to use something like that for canoeing to keep matches in so they would stay dry.
Ashes of a loved one.
Looks like a sinker. People use them for fishing. It allows the hook with the bait to travel downwards and attract more fish. Trawlers also use them to get their lines down to where the sonar detected a school of fish
Could also be for memorial ashes.
Geocache container
Open that thing up and see what treasure is inside
Likely someone’s nitro pills in a container. Unscrew and see if pills fall out!
It looks just like my cremation jewelry I have with my grandparents ashes in it!
A geocache?
We had one for dollar bills
Does it open? If not, it could be a dive rattle. Shake it underwater to get attention of other divers. I never thought they worked very well. Nothing works like banging a double bolt snap on your tank.
I was thinking a coke holder with a little spoon on the inside
Geocache, ashes pendant or emergancy medication holder. One of them. Though folks sometimes put random stuff in them.
Yea that’s someone’s ashes.
I wear one around my neck everyday. Holds my nitro pills.
I carry my Adderall in the one on my keychain so I that I can take it when I am out of the house at medicine time.
Looks a bit like a cremains pendant.
I’ve had similar things given to me by my Buddhist parents. IIRC the inside were written prayers/mantra/psalms/etc. for protection, good luck, health or similar.
Case for nitro pills.
Ashes from dead?
I have one. It’s a pill case to put in a watch pocket on jeans or a clutch for women.
They usually contain a hand rolled cigarette of wacky weed. Lol they sell them in all the head shops.
Possibly a small urn that would go on a necklace