That object appears to be a small manual battering ram / door-breaching ram. The heavy cylindrical body provides the impact mass, while the two side handles let the user grip and swing/drive it into a door. Similar breaching rams are specifically made as cylindrical tools with two handles.
The open-looking end is the striking end, and the handles allow two people—or one person with a firm two-handed grip—to control the tool.
So the “mysterious chunk of steel” isn’t a kitchen gadget or pipe fitting: it’s essentially a compact door-breaching ram.
The viral “99% of people have no idea” wording is probably exaggerated, but the object’s unusual shape certainly makes it look mysterious!
