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January, 2020 The Antique Shoppe Page 29
SOME GUIDELINES FOR DATING
ANTIQUE WROUGHT IRON IMPLEMENTS
By: Vern Ward
A brief history of iron... infrastructure such as bridges and red rust that is relatively easy to
Iron should be rails for facilitating the westward clean with no damage to the piece.
awarded the medal expansion. This advance was These differences are mostly due
for having the most brought about by the rapid to the extended amount of hand
influence over the growth of the technology of forging on the older piece.
development of the iron and steel making in the The basic iron stock used is
human race over the 19th century. also useful as a clue to the age of
longest period of time. With the rapid growth a given piece. Wrought iron bars
It began its’ influence on history Toaster - Mid 19th Century of technology, cast were manufactured by running
as far back as 2500 B. C. E. iron began to gain favor sheet meta thru a slitting roller
(Before Current Era = B. C.) over wrought iron and as time which cut the sheet into various
when the smelting of iron and into the 19th century. This is went on, the production of sized square cross-section rods
ore was discovered. true of many advances, but some wrought iron gradually decreased that were then hammered into
Iron artifacts from evidence until 1970, round stock as needed. The
this early period, mostly swords exists that when full scale earliest rolling mills reduced
and knives, have been found made advanced production bars of iron to plates of iron that
from meteorite iron. So the original methods of wrought were then processed by slitting
elemental iron was supplied from existed much iron was mills which produced the square
space and was naturally extremely earlier than completely iron rods. This technology was
scarce, so the only individuals anyone had supplanted introduced to England from
who could afford to possess supposed. An by mild steel, Belgium in 1590.
these artifacts were pharaohs and outstanding which is often The process of extruding metals
others of equivalent stature. For example of marketed as was introduced in the 1820s but
the average subject, the Bronze this early “wrought did not become widespread for
Age continued unabated until advanced iron,” and iron and steel until 1894. As a
approximately 1200 B.C.* technology although result, wrought iron implements
It appears that the evolution is the Iron similar, is consisting of round stock are most
of iron smelting may have begun Pillar of not equivalent. likely a product of the late 19th
independently, historical records Delhi which
being sketchy or non existent. is 23 feet
The early smelting of iron ore 8 inches Spatula & Dipper
began slowly, as the product was high and 16 Wax Jack C. 1850
devoid of carbon and thus when inches in C. 1800
out of the furnace was a spongy diameter.
mass that for years was regarded This pillar
as useless. Once it was recognized was constructed of iron around Suggestions For
that further hammering would 400 A.D and has resisted Dating Wrought Iron
reduce many of the impurities extensive corrosion for over 1600 Utensils
remaining, thus making the iron years! First, when assessing
more ductile, the science of With the advent of the the age of a wrought iron
metallurgy could take the next Industrial Revolution, iron utensil, you must get
step. rapidly expanded as a primary hands on. Once you have
Up until the time when it was material used in architecture and handled numerous pieces, century, while implements made
discovered that the addition of a the simple feel of the metal will tell from square stock hammered round
small amount of carbon to the flux you a lot about the quality of the iron most likely date from early in the
would produce a wrought iron which is a major clue as to its’ age. 19th century to the last quarter.
A smooth, somewhat silky feel is
that could be worked into durable characteristic of early utensils as the The next clue to age is the
tools and weapons, iron was repeated hammering in shaping the method of joining the various
primarily used for ornaments and parts also further purifies the iron and pieces of an implement together.
implements not subjected to wear homogenizes its’ structure. Methods used on older artifacts
or stress. Even though iron was The repeated forging of the iron were forge welding, soft iron
known and even smelted during is also reflected in how oxidation rivets hammered flat or copper
the latter part of the Bronze Age, appears on the metal. Wrought rivets also hammered flat. More
it did not compare to bronze in iron and mild steel tend to develop recent techniques utilize round
hardness or strength. scaly rust of a deep reddish brown headed copper or iron rivets
It has been assumed that the color, while older wrought iron and modern welding or brazing
science of metallurgy didn’t reach that has been repeatedly hand techniques.
its’ apex until the late 18th century Cast Iron Grain Box Hinges forged will exhibit a fine-grained, Continued on Page 32
C. 1890
