Without a photo it’s hard to be certain, but a heavy pointed brass weight with a string attached is usually one of a few common tools or parts from older toolkits.
Here are the most likely possibilities:
🧰 1. Plumb bob (most likely)
Plumb bob
Why it matches:
- usually made of brass or steel
- pointed tip at the bottom
- attached to a string
- used in construction, carpentry, and masonry
What it does:
- helps check if something is perfectly vertical (like walls or posts)
🎣 2. Fishing or net weight (less likely)
Sometimes older tackle used:
- brass or lead weights
- attached cords
- for sinking lines or nets
But these are usually not as precisely pointed.
🧭 3. Marking or surveying weight (possible)
Used in older surveying tools to:
- stabilize lines
- mark straight reference points
🔎 Quick way to confirm
It’s almost certainly a plumb bob if:
- it’s symmetrical and perfectly balanced
- the tip is centered and sharp
- it screws open or has a removable top cap
- it hangs straight without spinning oddly
🧾 Bottom line
Most tools like what you described are a Plumb bob used in construction to measure vertical alignment.
If you want, you can upload a picture of it—I can identify it more precisely (and tell you its age/use if it’s an older tool).
