| Looking at antique furniture, we often seek clues for | | | | was also employed by Jefferson, and the new cut |
| authenticity and age. There are many factors that | | | | nails had rectangular heads attached by another |
| show true historic construction, but one clue that is | | | | machine, one nail at a time. This greatly accelerated |
| often overlooked is the type of nail used to hold the | | | | the manufacture of nails, and these rectangular nails |
| piece together. Nails in antique furniture are often | | | | quickly became dominant by the early 1800's. These |
| barely noticeable, but they are another key to unlock | | | | cut nails are often called "square," but they are really |
| the history of wooden pieces. The quest for the ideal | | | | markedly rectangular, as are their heads, and easy to |
| nail has taken centuries of development. As Churchill | | | | distinguish from the truly square and entirely handmade |
| noted, "To improve is to change, to be perfect is to | | | | earlier variety. |
| change often." | | | | Very tiny nails, used especially for trim and moldings, |
| The ancient Egyptians and Romans used organic glue | | | | were made with a single cut, resulting in an "L-shaped" |
| for wood furniture, especially with decorative veneer | | | | nail. |
| techniques, but like much advanced technology, glue | | | | Cut nails continued as the standard until the end of the |
| for wood became a lost art after the collapse of | | | | 1800's, and were used in building construction, ships and |
| Rome in 476 until the Renaissance, around 1400, when | | | | furniture. These nails fairly accurately date furniture to |
| glue and veneer techniques reappeared. During the | | | | the 1900's, although it is worth remembering that |
| Middle Ages, furniture was held together with pegs, | | | | sometimes modern nails were added in subsequent |
| dovetails, mortise and tenon joints and a few nails. | | | | repairs. |
| Archaeologists have found hand made bronze nails | | | | Machinery was developed to produce cut nails in the |
| from as far back as 3000 BC. The Romans made | | | | 1900's, and they are still used in flooring and concrete |
| many of their nails from iron, which was harder, but | | | | applications, where holding power is paramount, and |
| many ancient iron nails have rusted away since. The | | | | power nailing tools are standard. Machine made cut |
| hand-forged nail changed little until well into the 1700's. | | | | nails are also made for use in reproduction or hobbyist |
| For thousands of years, the traditional hand-forged nail | | | | replica furniture, but they are so perfect and identical |
| was square and tapered, with a hammered head | | | | that it is usually easy to see that they are new. |
| attached by the blacksmith. One nail at a time was | | | | In Europe in the 1850's, steel wire was made into tiny |
| heated and laboriously pounded out to shape with a | | | | nails known as "brads," with only a very small widened |
| hammer on an anvil. Nails were fairly valuable, and | | | | head. These continue to be used to attach small |
| ruined buildings were often burned and nails were | | | | moldings and trim. |
| scavenged from the ashes to reuse. | | | | About 1880 in America and in Europe, the modern wire |
| Carpenters still speak of nail sizes by the "penny," | | | | nail was developed. Machinery was invented to cut |
| abbreviated "d" for the Latin word for penny, denarius. | | | | pieces of steel wire, sharpen a point at one end, and |
| The name refers to the price of nails in England in the | | | | put a flat round head onto the other end. These nails |
| 1600's: the price of 100 nails for one penny gave the | | | | were much cheaper to produce. Because their sides |
| size: 100 4d (4 penny) nails cost 4 English pennies or | | | | were straight rather than tapered, they have only a |
| pence. One hundred larger 10d (10 penny) nails cost 10 | | | | fraction of the holding power of cut nails with tapered |
| pence. | | | | sides. Nevertheless, the reduced cost factor made |
| Most local blacksmiths made nails. Thomas Jefferson, | | | | wire nails the standard very quickly. By 1910, wire nails |
| a true Renaissance man, made nails on his plantation. | | | | were 90% of the total market. A reasonable date for |
| Until the very end of the 1700's, most nails in better | | | | furniture originally constructed with round wire nails is |
| furniture had a head that was rose-cut or faceted like | | | | after 1880. |
| an old miner's cut diamond. Some nail heads were | | | | The simple nail serves as a key to furniture dating. Until |
| "butterfly" shaped, with visible facets where the iron | | | | about 1800, nails were hand-forged - tapered square |
| head was hand-hammered, one nail at a time. | | | | shafts and hand-hammered heads. During the 1800's, |
| The next phase of progress in nails was the | | | | cut nails have tapered rectangular shafts and |
| appearance of "cut" nails, beginning in the very late | | | | rectangular heads. In the 1900's, the round wire nail with |
| 1700's. As plates of flat steel became available, a | | | | straight sides and a round head are the standard. Nails |
| simple hardened steel knife was used to "cut" one | | | | are one of many clues to the age and authenticity of |
| tapered rectangular nail at a time. This new technology | | | | antique furniture and building construction as well. |