It was deliberately heavy. He had a system worked out whereby he could use it as a violin bow as well. Or rather, he could draw it across the strings and produce sound, not actually play the violin, unless you count making it sound like the death-knell of a cat as "playing".

They would send you to the vice principal's office and make you take the polish off, (with mineral turpentine, not nail-polish remover, mind) despite how pretty it is :) - they used to (possibly still do) force boys to shave in the sick-bay if they came to school with facial hair. And various other atrocities including only allowing navy underwear (which we all thoroughly ignored, but that is hardly the point).