So, I was helping a friend with some renovations on their very old house when we cracked open one of the walls—and out rolled this heavy, rusty metal cylinder.
At first glance, it looked like something straight out of a mystery movie. It’s solid, kind of bullet-shaped, and way heavier than it looks. Cue everyone in the room going, “Uhh… should we call someone?” 😅
After a little sleuthing (and a few wild guesses involving time capsules, weights for secret safes, and “definitely cursed Victorian relics”), we finally figured it out.
Turns out, it’s a window weight—a clever bit of old-school engineering from the days before modern spring-loaded windows. These weights were hidden inside the walls or window frames, attached to ropes and pulleys that helped balance the heavy sash windows. When you lifted a window open, the weight would counterbalance it, keeping it perfectly in place.
It’s one of those forgotten little pieces of craftsmanship that reminds you how much thought went into even the simplest things back then.
So no, it’s not a haunted artifact or a secret stash—just a hardworking chunk of iron that’s been quietly holding up windows for over a century. 🪟⚙️
