I found a peculiar metal object in the park. Can you identify it? It's about 2 3/8 inches long.About an inch

Question

and 1/4 across the middle and about a quarter of an inch across the ends. It's made of a smooth, shiny gray metal. It's round like a cylinder that tapers toward both ends. There are no seams or holes or anything that would enable it to be attached to anything else like a fishing weight would have. It weighs about 2 onces and I noticed when I put it on my metal postal scale that it's magnetic. I asked some people in the park if they knew what it is and no one did. One woman looked at it and said "I don't believe in that." and fled. Based on the knowledge I gleaned from 1950s sci fi movies I would have to say it's from another planet in which case I can't believe in it either. It's very attractive object, pleasant to touch. I hope it isn't toxic or explosive. Anybody know what it is?

Correction: I said it's 1 1/4 inch across the middle. It's actually only about 3/4 of an inch across. It has a much more graceful figure than what I first described.

Thank you, jjsocrates, but I was kind of hoping to narrow it down a little from there.

Answer 1

Take it to the parks department or city engineer's office. Just say, "I found this in the park, know what it is?"

Personally, I think you've got a tube chaser, something to send down plastic plumbing pipe to dislodge things that are stuck there. If it gets stuck, an external magnet helps externally locate it. Most of those have a hole on one end for the string or cable, though. It is tapered to make it around some corners (some use ball bearings, it makes the 90 degree angles) or plunge through things like dirt, hair, or such plugs. Most aren't pretty, so if it is the aliens instead, then don't shake it or you might send them crashing around inside.

Answer 2

A picture might help identification. Can't think of anything of the top of my head

Answer 3

a hard drive magnet

Answer 4

If its magnetic, my first guess would be that it is some kind of magnet.