Saw these andirons at the flea market today . The guy first told me 1200 then was down to 500 today. He was talking about sandblasting to find a touch mark. I told him that would cut the price in half. 

Here are some more pictures they are well made with traditional methods for sure 

Wow. Ugly but WOW.

Frosty The Lucky.

Those are serious (and yes, UGLY) andirons. The guy must have had a massive fireplace burning 6ft logs to warrant that mass of steel. The scrolls would have taken some bending. If his touchmark is in line with the robust construction, you wouldn't need a sand blaster to find it!

A skilful, traditional build ... but not pretty!  So you didn't bring 'em home??

Those should be attributable to a known maker, touchmark or not. The subtlety is gorgeous to my eye. Even a "good wire brushing" might be detrimental before attempting provenance. Craftsman period?

I agree with Ausfire it would take at least a 6' log to make it look good.  I have a 5' fireplace that I use 4' logs in and it would overpower that one.  Amazing work but beauty only a mother could love.   What  do those things weigh?

I did not bring them home, I had a spending cap a $200 for the day. I would estimate the weight at around 60 lbs each. They are about 3  feet long and a foot tall at the scroll.

The guy is some kind of antique dealer he is taking them to an antique fair next weekend and said he was going to price them at $1700 there (good luck)

If he comes back with them I may make him an offer

Wish him luck I guess, he better find someone with a castle to use those things.  $1700

Those have enough rust on them I'd derust with electrolysis or phosphoric acid. I've brushed rust when it's gone so far as to flake and it disfigures the remaining iron/steel. If it's an antique to BE an antique then stabilizing the rust is about all you want to do with it.

Those might look good in a big lodge's great room fireplace. They'd have to have a fire place where they fit the "decor" or they just wouldn't be happy.

Frosty The Lucky.

I was guessing Arts and Crafts period too and particularly in the 1920's (maybe as late as the '30's).  I do NOT call that a traditional build with the legs riveted on rather than forge welded. I also agree that they were probably built for a large show fireplace in a lodge and did not see much use...

Ugly?  Bunch of uncouth heathens around here!

Those irons are as fine as you could hope to have.  Maybe a bit on the large side for the tiny fireplaces most homes use, but still mighty easy on the eyes.  The delicate scrolls soften the harshness of the iron, giving it a more feminine appearance while maintaining the strong pose reminiscent of a ram's head.

Definitely something I'd be proud to have even though I don't have a big enough fireplace for them!  

I think they would look great in an outside stone fireplace.

I think Vaughn should buy them build a nice fire place to scale and build a house around it. Seriously, love like that expressed cant be denied!

Frosty The Lucky.

I agree with Frosty, Build a big fireplace and put them in it.  Will have to use a log forwarder to fill the fireplace with wood at those sizes.  Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. 

 The delicate scrolls soften the harshness of the iron...

Vaughn, I can think of a few words to describe those scrolls, but 'delicate' isn't one of them!!

Trust me, gentlemen.  If I could afford those andirons, they'd be on their way to me right now.  

You're right, Ausfire, that delicate is a poor word to describe them.  Powerful, yes.  A wonderful display of industrial masculinity, sure.  But delicate only in the sense that they have scrolls and scrolls are generally accepted as being an element used to soften a piece.  In this case, they soften the look much like the curling horns of a giant mountain ram softens its demeanor.  

Bock-irons indeed!

Vaughn, to quote my Ex, "your a blacksmith right?" I xxxx shure dont like them $1700 worth, but I might be tempted to by the steel and forge somthing like that. Make good leggs for a 2x8 log bench I have in mind...

A work of art they are beautiful. Just need a new home.

I think they're very handsome.

I'm interested in how the "forked fishtail" scrolls are the same size stock as the apparent parent bar. I'm presuming there is a weld in there. I love to look at old andirons, no two sets seem to be made in quite the same way!

 

There mat be a forge weld in there but I really did not see it. Or they started out with larger stock and forged it down to what apears to be "Parent stock"

The last picture does look like a possible forge weld

IDK, something on them doesn't look right to me.  Perhaps its that the scrolls are rusted differently, or the odd riveting, lack of obvious touch mark or...something.  I'd say not antique, and not hand forged.  

I keep coming back and scrolling through the pics. I'd say they're definitely hand made though he used a scrolling jig for sure. The scroll finials are reverse tapered and scrolled in a bit of a helix.

The more I think about it the more the rivets would make it easy to knock down to ship. Assembling it wouldn't be difficult nor require a smith to do. My grandmother knew how to buck rivets, it's only a "mystery today because they don't teach hand skills in school.

I still don't want it.

Frosty The Lucky.