The Cellar  

Go Back   The Cellar > Images > Image of the Day

Image of the Day Images that will blow your mind - every day. [Blog] [RSS] [XML]

Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 06-25-2008, 12:05 AM   #1
xoxoxoBruce
The future is unwritten
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
June 25, 2008: Picky Picky

You can pick your friends, and you can pick your ears, but you can't......

Neatorama points to these two combination earwax spoon/ toothpick, antiques.

Discovery News.
Quote:
One Expensive Ear Pick
In this photo released by the Florida Keys News Bureau, a tiny solid gold combination toothpick and earwax scoop is displayed inside a clam shell. A diver recovered the artifact Sunday, May 18, about 40 miles west of Key West during a search for remains of the Spanish galleon Santa Margarita that shipwrecked in a 1622 hurricane. Estimated value of the pick could exceed $100,000



APVA
Quote:
Sterling Silver Ear Picker Pin
A status symbol and hygienic tool, this ear picker/tooth cleaner was found at the James Fort site by APVA Preservation Virginia archaeologists. The 17th-century English knew about plaque, which they called scale or surf, and were encouraged by doctors to scrape their teeth frequently. They also knew that a buildup of earwax could cause deafness. As was the fashion for many of these tools, our ear picker is double-ended, combining the function of an ear scoop with that of a nail/tooth cleaner. Ear pickers were used by all levels of society in medieval and post-medieval England, but ours, being silver, probably belonged to a gentleman.


Bet you wish you had one for the gross out value.
__________________
The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.
xoxoxoBruce is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2008, 02:38 AM   #2
Eclipse
Sibling of the Commonweal
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 16
Hygiene is important! These people just valued it so much that they even made tools out of precious metals for...a classier experience? I guess this shows that pretty much anything can be made from gold and silver.
Eclipse is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2008, 02:45 AM   #3
newtimer
Operations Operative
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 479
I wonder when these tools went out of fashion in the West. And why. People still have earwax, right? People should still groom themselves, right?
I have a little earwax spoon/keychain that I bought in China a few years ago for about 2 cents. (They're mass-produced in steel, not silver) It's a handy little tool.
newtimer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2008, 08:11 AM   #4
Clodfobble
UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 20,012
That's what Q-tips are for.
Clodfobble is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2008, 08:15 AM   #5
HungLikeJesus
Only looks like a disaster tourist
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: above 7,000 feet
Posts: 7,208
I thought that was a coke spoon.
__________________
Keep Your Bodies Off My Lawn

SteveDallas's Random Thread Picker.
HungLikeJesus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2008, 08:37 AM   #6
xoxoxoBruce
The future is unwritten
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
Quote:
Originally Posted by newtimer View Post
I wonder when these tools went out of fashion in the West. And why.
Replaced with car keys.
__________________
The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.
xoxoxoBruce is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2008, 09:20 AM   #7
sweetwater
lives inside a Mobius strip
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,120
Gold and silver for earwax and tartar removal, but I guess they used the old farmer's blow to clean their noses. Now I'm going to stop thinking about these things for the rest of my life.
__________________
I knew I shoulda taken that left turn at Albuquerque! - Bugs Bunny
sweetwater is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2008, 10:52 AM   #8
barefoot serpent
go ahead, abbrev. it
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
Posts: 2,623
Quote:
Originally Posted by Clodfobble View Post
That's what Q-tips are for.
'cepting Q-tips just shove most of the wax up into the far recesses of the ear canal. And, of course, the Q-tip folks say not to use their product in the ear canal.
__________________
Chooses rowing vs. wading
barefoot serpent is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2008, 11:01 AM   #9
footfootfoot
To shreds, you say?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: in the house and on the street-how many, many feet we meet!
Posts: 18,449
Quote:
Originally Posted by barefoot serpent View Post
'cepting Q-tips just shove most of the wax up into the far recesses of the ear canal. And, of course, the Q-tip folks say not to use their product in the ear canal.
Poor technique. Q-tipping is an art and feels deliriously wonderful. I'm a junkie. My ears are very tidy. The qtip folks just don't want you to stick it in your ear for fear you will poke a hole in your ear drum or leave cotton in there. All examples of poor technique.
__________________
The internet is a hateful stew of vomit you can never take completely seriously. - Her Fobs
footfootfoot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2008, 11:46 AM   #10
xoxoxoBruce
The future is unwritten
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
They don't care if you screw up your ear, they just don't want to be sued.
__________________
The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.
xoxoxoBruce is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2008, 11:50 AM   #11
jinx
Come on, cat.
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: general vicinity of Philadelphia area
Posts: 7,013
Quote:
Originally Posted by footfootfoot View Post
Poor technique. Q-tipping is an art and feels deliriously wonderful. I'm a junkie. My ears are very tidy. The qtip folks just don't want you to stick it in your ear for fear you will poke a hole in your ear drum or leave cotton in there. All examples of poor technique.
I agree 100%. It's all about the eargasm.
__________________
Crying won't help you, praying won't do you no good.
jinx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2008, 12:41 PM   #12
glatt
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Arlington, VA
Posts: 27,717
depends on the diameter of the ear canal. My wife, poor thing, has small diameter ear canals and can't insert the q-tip into the canal. It just mushes the wax back into the canal opening.

I, on the other hand, get an eargasm every morning.
glatt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2008, 02:36 PM   #13
Skylight
Eavesdropper
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: perth, australia
Posts: 24
Quote:
Originally Posted by glatt View Post
I, on the other hand, get an eargasm every morning.






Last edited by Skylight; 06-25-2008 at 02:41 PM. Reason: wrong link
Skylight is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2008, 02:50 PM   #14
Clodfobble
UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 20,012
I am surprised to find so many q-tip junkies. I thought my every-day-without-fail habit was rare.
Clodfobble is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2008, 02:54 PM   #15
Flint
Snowflake
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Dystopia
Posts: 13,136
Quote:
Originally Posted by Clodfobble View Post
I thought my every-day-without-fail habit was rare.
If I don't q-tip my ears after I shower, my ears feel gross all day. All moist and itchy; it drives me crazy.
__________________
******************
There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there
it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your
expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever
gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio
Flint is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:29 AM.


Powered by: vBulletin Version 3.8.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.