Hive Mind - What are these?

[Clanktank]

I have a mystery. I keep finding these things on the kitchen floor near the back door for the past few weeks, and no idea where they are coming from or what they are. Either the cats are bringing them in, or my better 3/4 is trying to sabotage the midnight fridge raids.

Anyone have any clues?

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[moth]

Are they metal?

[Clanktank]

Are they metal?

Yep, solid metal, and just a little smaller than an airgun pellet.

[moth]

Alien artifacts. You're going to be anally probed

[Clanktank]

Alien artifacts. You're going to be anally probed

[demographic]

I've seen something very like those in boxes of small screws.
I put it down to them being screw misshapes and just launch them into next doors back kitchen.

Where did you say you found them?

[Clanktank]

I've seen something very like those in boxes of small screws.
I put it down to them being screw misshapes and just launch them into next doors back kitchen.

Where did you say you found them?

[Horse]

Have you noticed any missing fillings

His cat has fillings? That's pampered posh!

[JamJar]

They almost look like the inside portion of the rivets you have on jean pockets.

[demographic]

Found this in a box of screws this morning.
Bit rougher but the principle is the same.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Looks like the start of the screw end?

They're made from wire in the factory aren't they, I would guess those bits are the dog ends of the reels/bits that got half stuck in the machine or something like that? It's not worth going to the effort of fishing 'em out of the box on an automated production line.

[demographic]

Yeah, pretty much that.
The ones on the kitchen floor were the gold coloured ones that usually have a single thread and the ones I've been using have twinthreads so its a faster thread despite it not looking like that.
Bastard things are crap, its like setting off in top gear. Bad for splitting wood so I have to predrill them more often.
Much prefer the single deeper threads with shorter pitch.

A rattle gun puts them in well enough but takes more power which is more likely to strip the screw head recess.

In fact, I'd go as far as to say those kitchen floor ones are from SPAX screws (if someone else is paying thats what I get from the builders merchants) cos the points of SPAX screws are machined with little saw blade teeth in the start of the thread which is why it looks like a very small pushbike rear sprocket.

[TightRS]

I thought they might be running shoe spikes [google images], but they have a thread to attach to the shoe.

[petrolpete]

I think they must be brass nipples from the statue of romulus and remus, highly sought after.

[derek badger]

They are the used tips of Polonium 210 darts. Do you have any Russian oligarchs as neighbours?