Our railroad spikes hail from all over, but most are from western Pennsylvania. These are spikes that were on the ground (or in it) - and no longer being used by the railroads. Some are straight; some bent, some painted gold or black - all are very old - early to mid 1900s - some even earlier. Each one weighs from 1/2 pound to almost a pound.
We have cleaned them, but we have not removed all of the rust on the unpainted ones. You might want to varnish yours if you decide to use it as a paperweight, but we've been using them to hold open doors, as paperweights and in artwork for years with no problems. They are made of iron or steel. They measure from 6 to 8 inches long and each has a solid natural head on it.
We have many of these and no two are alike. Please let us know your preference: painted, rusty, bent, etc., and we'll try to honor it. If you absolutely want a certain type, be sure to tell us, otherwise we'll choose one for you if we don't have exactly the one you describe.