I found a weird slab with two holes while having a smoke at a bar... I was surprised to discover what it was

Daily Mail​

13-07-2025

While stopping for a smoke break at a local bar, a Reddit user uncovered a peculiar item they were certain had nothing to do with smoking at all.
User SmelisSmell found a thick, heavy slab of what they assumed was granite in the smoking area of a bar. The white and gray rectangle had two even holes drilled all the way through.
They wrote on the site's 'What is this thing' channel: 'Any clue on the purpose of this rectangular granite slab with two holes cut out of it? It was a pretty heavy and thick stone.
'We found in a pub smoking area and at one point somebody had placed an ashtray on it, but we thought it looked like it must have another specific use.'
The poster said that the item was about six inches long and an inch or so thick.
Commenters came in swarms to uncover the real purpose of the makeshift ashtray. The suggestions ranged from toilet paper holder to paper weight.
'I thought this was a tile that went behind a toilet paper holder,' a user wrote.
'Probably used as a paper weight,' said another.
But after much debate, wannabe investigators came to a consensus in the comment section.
Two suggestions stood out as the front runners.
About half of the comment section said the piece looked like it was made of marble, perhaps used as the stand for a trophy.
One commenter wrote: 'It may be the base for a trophy?'
Another agreed, throwing aside their own solution: 'Yeah I was thinking it might be a switch plate for an old school button switch, but the openings are spaced way closer together on all of those.
'Gotta be for a baseball player's feet or something.'
It would take a very specific trophy to be held up by the two perforations in the marble slab, but commenters agreed it was still within the realm of possibility.
But the far more likely solution came from a retiree who'd received something similar - although slightly more intact - as a gift.
They commented: 'I think it is marble, not granite. Trophy as mentioned or a pen/pencil set. I got one just like it when I retired.'
In theory, the marble slab would hold two ball point pens upright in each hole. Often, the marble would be engraved and would sit neatly on the desk of its owner.
However, in this case it had been repurposed to become a far too nice ashtray stand.
With the solution found, there was one more task at hand. In the photo, it seemed the SmelisSmell had swiped the object from the bar.