Square Nail identification?

[Mozhoven]

Hello all,

I know iron nails are the bane or our existence, but does anyone know of a source that can help date them? From what I have seen, they come in many different sizes and shapes, particularly the older square ones. Any pointers?

[xxsaturnxx]

I would love to know as well! Ive been finding a lot lately, all shapes and sizes

[grouser]

I believe they are actually called "cut nails" cz they are cut from a single piece of flat steel,,,,,,, try a google search,,,,, if I remember right they are still made

[DigginTexas]

cut nails are machine made and went mainly out of favor about 1910, they are still made. mainly for restorations and are expensive. you can id them by the fact that they will have two parallel sides because that is the thickness of the steel sheet they are cut from. hand made nails made by blacksmiths will be tapered on all four sides. HH

[taz42o]

http://www.uvm.edu/histpres/203/nails.html

http://www.journalofantiques.com/aug...inessaug02.htm

http://www.worthpoint.com/blog-entry/tale-nails

[Mozhoven]

Great links! Actually makes me want to collect nails now.

It's going to be very helpful in identifying the age of a now non-existent building on the property of a place I work.

[Silversmith45]

After my grandfather died, as a boy I helped my parents tear down an old house that he owned. We ended up with about three five gallon buckets of old square nails and that was just the ones we kept. I'm sure the lot that the house sat on is still full of them. They are all gone now and since I was so young, I don't remember where the house was.

[grouser]

I do collect different sizes and perfect ones for display...it's history ya know

[CaliDetector]

Thanks for the link I always find those metal nails when I go metal detecting. I

[Glennz]

The smallest square nail i have found was 1/2 inch long... i would have thought it wouldn't be around an more with as little rust as it had.... but they did make things better back than.