An extremely old mousetrap gets one final kill.
Ever since the dawn of time humans have been dealing with rodents. Mice and rats have long made people's lives difficult by spreading disease and eating food intended for either people or domesticated animals. People have always been looking for a way to build a better mousetrap, and today we see some rather interesting designs hit the market.
However, sometimes simplicity is best. As is proven by this mousetrap built back in 1879. Known as the Royal No. 1, this mouse trap has a wicked design that makes it look more like a downsized bear trap than something meant for rodents.
The big question is, can this design still catch mice in the modern era? Well, YouTuber Shawn Woods could not resist trying it out. The 141-year-old trap is baited and placed in a barn filled with mice overnight to see how it works.
As you can see, there is no need to dramatically re-invent the wheel when it comes to dealing with mice and rats. A design built in the 1800s is just as effective in the 21st century as it was in the 19th. Still, we can bet that the designer of this wicked-looking trap never envisioned his design would be appreciated and showcased to millions of people nearly 150 years later!
Believe it or not, there is a whole niche subset of collectors who love antique mouse traps. Mostly just because there are so many fascinating designs out there that are indicative of the times. Back then, people built these things to last. You will not see modern traps being made of materials like cast iron. It simply is not cost-effective.
The thing is, while most modern mouse traps are extremely unlikely to survive over 100 years like the Royal No 1, this antique will likely still be around, and will probably still be capable of catching mice 100 years from now. It just goes to prove that a good design never goes out of style completely.
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For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
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