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I Forge Iron

Iron City History?


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Hi Everyone,
I'm a mining historian living in the gold country of California. Today I bought a pick head with an Iron City star logo stamped on it. I'm trying to find out info. on the Iron City forge/blacksmithing company, and the dates it operated. This pick looks like it was never used, and I'd like to find out some history on it. Thanks in advance for anything you might be able to share.

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Welcome to the gang Rich, glad to have ya.

I can't help with the history but there's probably someone here who can.

If you'll click "User CP" at the top of the page and edit your profile to show your location it'll help folk living close get in touch with you directly.

Frosty

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Bruce, Your info. about Lawrenceville led me to find out that Iron City forge was first established by German immigrants in the Pittsburgh area around 1859. They became Kloman & Co. in 1862, and during the civil war the business boomed and ended up merging with a company owned by Carnegie (of Carnegie Steel fame). I'm still not sure when my pickaxe head may have been manufactured, so any further info. that someone might have would be appreciated. Thanks!

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I bought an Iron City pick too, also newer looking. It was advertized as a prospecting pick which drew me in to buy it as I have done a fair amount of prospecting some years ago and my email starts out "prospector". I hand carved a handle for it, enjoying using my draw knife and spoke shave on a 26" long and 3.5" wide limb on a real project. Lots of work. Small pick head.

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  • 10 months later...

Hi, this is a bit of a late post. Last week I was hiking way back in the hills where I live in Arizona and found an old miners pickaxe. I did some research and determined it was an Iron City pickaxe. What was interesting that it was lying on the ground with three wedges for the handles lying inside the opening, which tells me it had lain there long enough for all the wood to turn to dust. Fortunately the pickaxe itself is in very good shape. From that alone I'm guessing it was about 100 years old. In the same general area I found a sledgehammer head without a handle, and a pretty beat up cast iron pot

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IRON CITY TOOL WORKS, Pittsburgh, PA. 1854-1958. Tool types: Blacksmith tools, hammers, hoes, picks, railroad tools, and vises. The company was acquired by Warren Tool Corporation in 1958 and the Iron City name continued to be used by Warren, even though located in Ohio. The above information is from "Directory of American Toolmakers" Robert E. Nelson, Editor. Early American Industries Association. 1999.

I have two Iron City vises, a hand held jack hammer, and a few fullers and swages with their unique six pointed star logo.

 

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  • 10 years later...
3 hours ago, DaveMc said:

Sonora Ca where I live

Welcome aboard... We won't remember this once leaving this post, hence the suggestion to edit your profile to show it in this thread. READ THIS FIRST   It will help with other tips to help you get the best out of the forum.

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  • 1 year later...

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