HandForged Ironmongery Articles

There are many general advantages to using the powder coating process over conventional paints. For instance it contains no solvents so is kinder to the environment; overspray can be reused; it doesn’t run and it provides a tougher coating. There are though, a few distinct advantages for using powder coating on hand-forged ironmongery.

The mild steel commonly used by blacksmiths today is not as corrosion resistant as the purer iron of yesteryear. Powder coating provides an attractive and durable corrosion resistant finish, a good alternative if you’re not particularly in favour of the naturally weathered look. The base metal doesn’t usually require priming either, although some producers do galvanise external pieces prior to powder coating as a double protection against corrosion.

Powder coating can last for a good 15 & 20 years so it’s an excellent low maintenance option for exterior ironmongery applications, especially in locations where there’s limited access. Common hand-forged items to be powder coated include exterior door and window furniture, hinges, nails and decorative door studs. Even though powder coating affords greater protection against the elements some suppliers still advocate applying the traditional beeswax finish over the powder coating for even greater protection and enhanced aesthetic appeal.

It’s available in a wide range of colours too, a great boon to your designer aspirations! Traditional ironmongery already has a great appeal due to its rustic look and feel and is well suited to a large number of applications. These, though, tend to be of a certain style evoking or recreating past times. With the wider range of colours powder coating affords, the opportunities for new and unusual or rather less traditional uses is increased.

Some powder coatings even contain silver-based anti-fungal and anti-bacterial agents, ideal for applications where infection control is important. The market for hand-forged items in these areas would appear to be limited but there’s no reason why hand-forged handles or door kickplates could not be used in a rurally themed health or veterinary centre for instance. Yet another potential opportunity for traditional craftsmen provided by mixing old and new technologies!

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Architecturally, Georgian refers to the period roughly between 1780 and 1820 and overlaps with the earlier Palladian style and the later Regency. It also includes neo-classical elements and the influences of the “Grand Tour” around Europe often undertaken at the time. The architect Robert Adam was one whose work was was greatly influenced by The Tour and his designs have become synonymous with the elegance of this period.

The Georgian style most people are familiar with is the elegant terraces of yellow-bricked town houses in which the architects were more concerned with clean lines, pleasing proportions and symmetry than over-elaboration. Double sash windows, stucco, door fanlights and roofs hidden behind parapets are all typical external features of Georgian town houses. Inside, the Georgians favoured painting rather than bare wood but there was a dearth of colourful pigments so interior colours tended towards drab greens and browns.

Door furniture and other fixtures were invariably black-painted cast iron, today’s Georgian rope-edged designs being a modern interpretation featuring certain design elements of the era rather than authentic period copies. In contrast to other internal detailing, interior plasterwork could be very ornate indeed and was often an expression of the wealth and influence of the householder.

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Hinges come in various sizes and patterns, each with a different use. They are invariably described by the shape they most closely resemble a very helpful thing to remember when ordering although it has to be remembered, each blacksmith will probably have his own designs! The most common forms of hand-forged hinges produced by English blacksmiths today are:

T hinges are the classic hand-forged hinge, familiar to most from the backs of farmhouse doors or barns. Shaped like a horizontal letter T, with their variable length tapered fixing plate, or strap, and excellent load capacity they are ideal for use on internal doors or external doors or gates with the correct anti-corrosion finish. They come in various decorative designs such as penny, bean or arrow-head end.

H hinges are, as the names suggests, shaped like the letter H. They are ideal carpentry hinges for cabinets, shutters or for doors where there’s limited space for fixing. There is some superstition attached to them whereby using them on doors would protect against witchcraft, the H representing “Holy Lord”.

HL hinges are similar to H hinges but with one strap shaped like the letter L. Used in similar applications to the H hinges or where the door is maybe a bit heavier or has undergone a repair.

Butterfly hinges are again decorative carpentry hinges although with “wings” resembling those of a butterfly. They are also known as dovetail hinges, for the same reason. They range in size and application, from large for use on heavy doors or desk lids to small enough for jewellery or trinket boxes.

Half butterfly hinges are similar in design and usage to butterfly ones but with one wing replaced with a half-butt hinge, making it easier to mount in restricted spaces.

Shutter hinges are designed with an angled offset on which the shutter is mounted so that when the shutter is opened it is thrown clear of the window, flat against the surrounding wall.

Ornate hinges can be any of the above hinge patterns but, as the name suggests, they are of far more decorative designs with extensive scroll work and punching. In this respect they are usually based on the T or butterfly pattern as these would have enough area to allow for the scrolling without compromising the loading capacity.

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Traditional hand-forged nails feature a gently tapering shank with four sharp edges. When driven into timber they part the fibres without splitting them, allowing the fibres to close back around the nail, producing a very fast fixing, four edges allowing a much greater grip through increased friction. Additionally, as hand forged iron is very ductile, the nail will often follow the grain through the wood, sometimes bending round to form an arced clench inside the timber, making the fixing extremely tight. Modern wire nails will often split the grain, especially if they are round rather than oval, offering less holding power.

Due to its low carbon content, wrought iron does not corrode easily but the beating it undergoes during the forging process increases its density thereby making it more water resistant and even less prone to corrosion. Traditional wrought iron is now difficult to obtain so modern day blacksmiths use mild steel, which has a higher carbon content. However there is a wide variety of coatings and finishes available providing not only a pleasing visual alternative to traditional iron nails but also allows them to be used in a wide range of applications both inside and more importantly, outside in the elements.

Hand-forged rosehead nails provide a decorative yet, because of the superior holding power they afford, totally functional alternative to mass-produced wire nails. In many cases they are better than the modern alternative as hand-forging allows a limitless number of bespoke designs to be produced so there’s no need to restrict their use to restoration work or architectural decoration.

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