Historical Ironwork

Just got back from a trip to Lisbon and Porto. Not sure how historic this stuff is but there was way too much to look at. Had a great time and would highly recommend.

This past August I spent four days in Yellowstone National Park. One of the most majestic facilities there is the Old Faithful Inn. The two main entry doors are hand crafted of wrought iron and rough hewn lodgepole pine wood. When I walked through I had to photograph them. I am sure they are over 100 years old and the names of the craftsmen are lost to history. Have any of you taken on a project such as these doors? I would cerntainly like to read about your experience if you have. listed below are two web links if your are interested in the history of the Old Faithful Inn. Put Yellowstone National Park on your bucket list. Old Faithful Inn | Yellowstone Nat…

Here is a link to The History Blog which was posted today. It is not iron or a weapon but I am sharing it because it depicts Vulcan working on a helmet. Note that while Mars and Venus are au naturale, Vulcan is wearing at least a rudimentary apron over his nether regions. Also, note the little cupid in the lower right working a double bellows. http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/63433#comments This may be an ongoing thread because I periodically see and am intrigued by blacksmiths and anvils shown in paintings, sculpture, coins, vignettes, etc.. Lots of times they are stylized but they can also be an interesting primary/secondary resource. Add your o…

Hey folks. Been a little while since I been on. Health issues. I’ve always been intrigued by the old water powered hammers and have watched numerous videos of them. I know how they work but have never seen one torn apart. Check out this rebuild. I think you will enjoy this. https://youtu.be/m7pIPgmPLx0?si=fi3Wvm0fW2TrKnif

One of my long term goals is to have a little cabin out in the woods. Im thinking just big enough to have some sort of cooking hearth, and Id like to make as much of the households iron work items as I can. Any suggestions for books with examples and or instructions? I hesitated on bidding on someones reproductions of a tramel candelabra, rushlight and very elegant andirons at a local house, and now Im just going to have to make my own. Thanks, Woody

I just got back from a short trip to Newport, Rhode Island, USA and thought you all might like to see some of the pictures I took of a some of the ironwork from the “Cottages.” Here’s the fence around “The Breakers”: (The salt water mist around the back hasn’t been kind to the fence in some places…) (had to get something in the picture for a sense of scale!) Here’s the ironwork above the pool table in the “Marble House”: (Yes, every room is covered in marble!) And finally an interesting fire place set from one of the smaller “Cottages”: (Sorry, I don’t remember the name of this mansion.) If you have never been, these places…

I have been in Germany for the last few weeks and went to the Koenigsbourg castle where the old forge is now the gift shop. And no, the 8” vise was not for sale haha. a whole bunch more photos to come when I return. The castle was amazing

In the recent past I came a cross a B&W photograph in a book showing a camp fire coiled barrel hoop trivet and the description said it was used by soldiers in the Rev. War. I can't remember the book now where I saw that photo. I have acquired some barrel hoops and I would like to re-create some of those coiled barrel hoop trivets. Does any one have a photo in a book showing those trivets ?? Can someone point me to the book with the photograph ?? Ohio Rusty ><>

The style of forged handrail with rings across the top (circles in a horizontal line just below the top rail and above the balusters is fairly common. I'm trying to figure out if such a design would have been used in the 1700s and/or 1800s. Does anyone know if this style has a name? Does anyone know whether this style was used 200-250 years ago, like late 1700s/early 1800s?

Hi to all out there, There is a book named - Alfred Habermann - Blacksmith and Designer. It is a kind of an portrait and I think a friend of him wrote this book. There is almost no information about the techniks he used for the pieces shown in this book. And there is one thing Habermann made I evertime wonder how this all helds togehter: Does anyone know this gate? Or had it seen in nature? How does Mr. Habermann prevent the parts from slipping apart? As you can see on the photos, you can´t see anything there. They are not detailed enough. What do you think? Did he weld it at a few points from below, where it is not visible? …

I've visited the archeological museum in Zagreb. There are many interesting artefacts, but for us it is the metal work. Artefacts are from a Roman city called Siscia, today it is a modern city Sisak (Croatia), dated from 1. to 4. century.

Happy New Year to all! Since I am a newcomer on this forum, please be forgiving if I put my question not the right place or right way. I would be curiouos, whether there is any information about the attached touchmark. It is on a (presumably) medieval dagger, the first picture shows the face, the second one shows the reverse. https://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/41065-mesterjegy-touchmarkjpg/?context=new https://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/41066-mesterjegy-bjpg/?context=new Any information would be valuable. Thank you for your feedback in advance! Best tegards- Sandor

I just got back from vacation, I was at Island Rab in my home country Croatia. And there is an old town also called Rab, the buildings are old but surprisingly little old forged stuff (not welded with modern welders), except for few of these window grates. They are without a doubt cut with a chisel and it is quite a thick material. Just thought I'd share, never saw such design, very simple.

If you’re going to have anyone survey your museum’s ironwork, you could do a whole lot worse than Jane Geddes and Marian Campbell. Fire-breathing Dragons from the ISGM Decorative Ironwork

Here is an article about Danish Bronze age iron spearheads that are decorated with gold: https://www.thehistoryblog.com/ When I first looked at the photos I thought the gold disks were rivet heads of rivets that Penetrated through the blade but on closer inspection it appears that they are gold disks that were inserted into circular depressions (punched?) in the blade and then upset to grip the sides of the depressions. Also, look closely at the quality of the forging. Doing a socket like that and the medial ridge on the blade is not something you give the apprentice to do to keep him busy and out of trouble. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

From the slave quarters at Melrose mansion in Natchez Mississippi. Circa late 1840’s. Very simple but obviously effective.

Yesterday, I visited the mind-blowing exhibit "Rose Iron Works and Art Deco" at the Cleveland Museum of Art. For those who don't know, Rose Iron Works was founded in Cleveland by Martin Rose (born Mor Rosenbluh), a Jewish immigrant from Hungary, and is still in business under the management of Martin's grandson Bob. (Fun fact: Martin's birthplace is about a nine-hour drive from the birthplace of Samuel Yellin; both towns are within the borders of present-day Ukraine.) The lighting in the gallery isn't great for photography, so I apologize in advance for the quality of the following photo dump from my phone. One of Martin's most well-known pieces: …

Volume 17 of The Archaeology of York is dedicated to small finds, and within that volume, we find almost five hundred pages by the archaeologist Patrick Ottaway dedicated to the iron artifacts from Anglo-Scandinavian period (roughly the 9th and 10th centuries) excavated at the site located at 16-22 Coppergate, a street in the city center. This tome is available online at https://www.collections.yorkarchaeologicaltrust.co.uk/files/original/74495/GB2837-PUB-AY-17-06_Anglo-Scandinavian-Ironwork_P-Ottaway.pdf and contains a wealth of illustrations, descriptions, metallurgical analyses, and so on. Here is the table of contents: And as a tiny sample of what's inside,…

I wasn't sure how many years constitutes "historical". My aunt texted me some pictures from a friend at her church. His grandfather did ironworks and made these two light scones for a school in the 1930's. His assessment is: If a brick is 3 5/8 tall, then these are between 4 1/2 and 5 feet tall.

OK, here is a link to a very deep rabbit hole, maybe a Mammoth Cave of rabbit holes when you consider the links. Beware, this could be a real time suck. https://www.academia.edu/122223347/Techniques_and_tools_for_Roman_die_engraving_and_coin_production_evidence_from_the_4th_century_Ramskold_York

Anyone shed any light?

Neat old sign, sent by a friend, source unknown. Original font and a more readable version.

From my collection: I rescued these roofing nails from an old shed that had fallen down. I know it was just one of many jobs blacksmiths had coming in back in the day but imagine getting an order for a thousand or so of these? What a mind numbing job. They are iron and coated with lead, zinc(?) Several still show signs of a leather washer or sealing compound to make them watertight. Pretty impressive; being able to create heads this large and draw out the points.

OK, this one is actually about ironwork rather than cheese. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/73103#respond I always like how historic tools are pretty much the same as the ones we use today. Form follows function. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

If initial testing proves positive at a site in India it will predate the earliest evidence of smelting iron by the Hittites by 2,000 years. It is beleived that the Hittites started making iron ~1,500 BC (IIRC) This site in India has the earliest dating at ~3,400 BC and another at ~2,500 BC. Again these are initial tests and still must be verified. https://thewire.in/history/tamil-nadus-iron-legacy-dates-back-over-5000-years-suggest-archaeological-findings