I Found This Strange Object and Had Absolutely No Idea What It Was — The Answer Turned Out to Be Surprisingly Simple (And Deeply Comforting)

No way. I had it in my hand, and it did not look anything like a tape dispenser.

You are probably holding it wrong, she said. Turn it over. Does it have a serrated metal edge?

You are probably holding it wrong, she said. Turn it over. Does it have a serrated metal edge?

I turned it over. There it was, hidden under the rim, a thin strip of metal with a row of tiny teeth. I pressed the edge of a piece of tape against it and pulled. It