For two decades, the “What Is It?” segment has been a standout feature of This Old House, delighting audiences with its unique blend of mystery, craftsmanship, and good-natured humor. Hosted by the ever-knowledgeable Tom Silva, the segment challenges the show’s crew to identify obscure tools and household contraptions, often with hilarious and humbling results. As the program marks 20 years of this beloved feature, it is worth reflecting on how a simple guessing game became one of television’s most enduring home improvement traditions. Celebrating two decades of Ask This Old House offers a fitting companion piece that explores the broader legacy of the franchise that gave birth to this iconic segment.
The Origins of a Television Tradition
The “What Is It?” segment did not emerge from a corporate boardroom or a focus group. It grew naturally from Tom Silva’s personal collection of unusual tools and contraptions he had gathered over decades working in the construction industry. Tom, who serves as the general contractor on This Old House, has a natural curiosity about how things work and a deep appreciation for the ingenuity found in everyday objects. When he first started bringing odd items to the set, the crew’s genuine confusion and playful banter proved so entertaining that the segment became a regular feature.
What makes the segment special is its unpredictability. No one ever knows what Tom will pull out of his bag next. It could be a vintage woodworking plane, a specialized plumbing tool, or a bizarre kitchen gadget. The guessing process reveals not just the crew’s knowledge gaps but also their creative problem-solving instincts. Kevin O’Connor, Richard Trethewey, and Tom Silva each bring their own perspective, leading to wildly different theories about any given object’s purpose. This cross-trade dynamic mirrors what viewers experience in their own workshops and job sites, where collaboration often leads to the best solutions. SkillsUSA National Championships celebrating the future of construction trades similarly highlights how bringing diverse tradespeople together fosters innovation and skill development across the building industry.
The segment’s longevity stems from its democratic nature. Anyone can play along at home, pausing the video to form their own guess before the big reveal. This interactive quality transforms passive viewing into active participation, a format that television producers have struggled to replicate in the decades since. Tom himself has noted that more and more viewers send in their own mysterious finds, hoping to stump the experts who have seen it all.
Memorable Mystery Objects That Stumped the Experts
Over 20 years, the “What Is It?” segment has featured an extraordinary range of objects, from simple hand tools to elaborate mechanical devices. Some stumpers have become legendary among longtime viewers, generating debate that continues long after the episode airs. Below is a selection of notable appearances that showcase the variety of objects presented over the years.
| Object Description | Crew Guesses | Actual Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Blue teardrop-shaped metal object | Airport security tool, exfoliation device, paint roller cleaner | Dexas MudBuster portable dog paw washer |
| Small metal bar with curved ends | Cabinet pull, tool handle, fishing weight | Antique window sash lock component |
| Spiral wire broom with wooden handle | Chimney sweep tool, wire brush for metalwork | Early 20th century chimney cleaning brush |
| Wooden clamp with unusual jaw shape | Veneer press, bookbinding tool, pipe clamp | 19th century cooper’s tool for barrel making |
| Metal contraption with rotating arms | Egg beater, mixing tool, hand drill | Antique butter churn mechanism |
Each of these objects tells a story not just about the item itself, but about the history of home improvement, craftsmanship, and daily life in earlier eras. The segment serves as an informal museum of material culture, preserving knowledge that might otherwise be lost to time. Celebrating 20 years of LP SmartSide siding reminds us that even modern building materials have rich histories worth documenting and preserving for future generations of builders and homeowners.
The 20th Anniversary Challenge
For the 20th anniversary celebration, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada took center stage, bringing a contraption that would test even the most seasoned members of the crew. The object in question was the Dexas MudBuster Portable Dog Paw Washer, a device designed to clean muddy dog paws quickly and efficiently. Jenn’s choice was clever, as it straddled the line between a household tool and a pet care product, a combination that left the experts grasping for answers.
The crew’s responses were characteristically varied and entertaining:
- Kevin O’Connor guessed it was a tool for sneaking items through airport security, calling it a “smooth” way to transport restricted pocket items past TSA checkpoints.
- Richard Trethewey, with his characteristic dry humor, thought it was an exfoliation device for removing unsightly hair, adding that he may have been slightly aggressive on his own head while testing his theory.
- Tom Silva believed it was a contraption for cleaning paint rollers at the end of a long workday, a guess that reflected his decades of experience on the job site.
All three guesses were completely wrong, and that was precisely the point. The moment of revelation when Jenn unveiled the MudBuster’s true purpose as a dog paw cleaner produced the kind of genuine laughter and surprise that has made the segment a staple for two decades. Post and beam construction celebrating structural framing and high performance home design demonstrates a similar principle, where the most straightforward solutions often hide in plain sight, waiting for the right perspective to reveal them.
Why the Segment Endures After Two Decades
The longevity of “What Is It?” is no accident. Several factors have contributed to its status as one of the most beloved recurring features in home improvement television. Understanding these elements offers valuable lessons for anyone in the building and construction trades about the importance of curiosity, humility, and continuous learning.
- Authentic Expertise The crew’s guesses are not scripted. Their genuine confusion and creative problem-solving make each segment feel fresh and unscripted, qualities that audiences recognize and appreciate.
- Cross-Trade Collaboration By involving a landscape contractor, a heating expert, a general contractor, and a host with diverse building knowledge, the segment showcases how different trades approach the same problem from completely different angles.
- Educational Value Each reveal teaches viewers something about material culture, tool history, or domestic technology. These lessons stick because they are wrapped in entertainment.
- Community Participation Viewers send in their own stumpers from across the country, creating a sense of shared discovery that extends far beyond the television screen.
- Humor and Humility Watching acknowledged experts get things completely wrong is both funny and reassuring. It reminds everyone that no one knows everything, a lesson that applies directly to construction and home improvement work.
The power of celebrating milestones and how construction leaders can build a recognition culture that retains top talent explores a related idea, showing how acknowledging achievements and learning from experience creates stronger teams and more resilient organizations in the building industry.
The Broader Impact on Home Improvement Culture
The “What Is It?” segment has influenced home improvement media in ways that extend beyond This Old House. Its success demonstrated that audiences have a genuine appetite for content that celebrates tool knowledge, historical craftsmanship, and the joy of discovery. Other programs and online content creators have adopted similar formats, creating guessing games, tool identification challenges, and mystery-object segments of their own.
The segment also serves a practical purpose in preserving trade knowledge. Many of the objects featured are antique tools or obsolete household items whose functions are no longer common knowledge. By documenting these items and explaining their purposes, the segment acts as an informal archive of material culture. This is particularly valuable for younger generations entering the trades, who may encounter vintage tools on job sites or in older homes and benefit from understanding how previous generations worked. Celebrating 45 years in business for a local earthmoving equipment manufacturer illustrates how long-established companies and their products carry forward knowledge that might otherwise be lost to generational turnover.
From a broader perspective, the segment has also contributed to the renewed interest in hand tools and traditional building methods that has emerged over the past two decades. As homeowners and DIY enthusiasts rediscover the satisfaction of working with quality tools, the “What Is It?” segment has helped demystify vintage equipment and encouraged viewers to seek out and appreciate well-made tools from earlier eras. 53 years of home building excellence a legacy built on faith and quality reinforces this theme, showing how dedication to quality craftsmanship transcends generations and continues to inspire new approaches to construction and renovation.
Looking Ahead at the Next 20 Years
As “What Is It?” enters its third decade, the segment shows no signs of losing relevance. If anything, the rise of social media and short-form video content has created new audiences for exactly this kind of engaging, curiosity-driven material. Clips from the segment regularly circulate on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, introducing the format to viewers who may never have watched a full episode of This Old House.
The segment’s future lies in the same qualities that made it successful in the first place: genuine curiosity, expert knowledge, and the willingness to be wrong in front of millions of viewers. Tom Silva continues to source new objects from viewers and his own collection, ensuring that the well of mystery never runs dry. As building technology evolves, new tools and materials will join the old, creating fresh opportunities for stumping even the most experienced crew members. JLGs blueprint for innovation and how the aerial industry leader reinforces core values at 50 years demonstrates how companies that stay true to their founding principles while embracing new challenges can thrive across decades, a lesson that applies equally to beloved television segments and manufacturing giants alike.