I loved playing with those weights as a kid. Their funny shape and hefty weight made them into interesting characters. The spline themselves were definitely off

I loved playing with those weights as a kid. Their funny shape and hefty weight made them into interesting characters. The spline themselves were definitely off limits to my little hands, though. One thing the article doesn't mention is that splines were also made out of clear plastic, not just wood. This made them more bendable and durable, I believe, and it was nice to be able to see through them when positionning them.