The Nail: Patriotic Symbol or Humble Tool?

Since the dawn of its creation, the humble nail has achieved much.

It has evolved drastically to suit our every need, from simple hand-wrought nails to wire nails formed in the late 18^th century.

The first evidence of large-scale nail making originates in Egypt, with bronze nails dating back to 3400 BC.

The Hand Forged Nail

The earliest nails were made by a hand-forged process.

The tools of the trade were simple: a forge, an anvil, a hammer and iron.

The method itself, however, was the gruelling part.

To begin, the iron ore was heated to melting point until it formed a dense, spongy mass within the forge.

This was then poured into moulds and allowed to cool into square rods. The metal produced was given the title of wrought iron.

A reheating process followed before the blacksmith cut off a nail length and hammered all four sides of the softened end to form a point.

This pointed end became the driving end of the nail.

The hot nail was then inserted into a hole within the anvil.

Four glancing blows of a hammer formed a rose head, completing the journey from raw material to building implement.

No two nails made through this process were exactly the same.

This is one of the reasons that hand-forged nails remain popular on restoration projects within old properties.

Although they are not as widely used as wire nails, hand-forged nails can help create an authentic rustic look that modern wire nails cannot achieve.

Nails As Currency

In the Middle Ages, nails were a valuable commodity and were bartered and traded as a form of currency.

The coinage "penny" refers to the price placed upon one hundred nails.

During the American Revolution, people searched for nails using any means necessary, going so far as to burn abandoned buildings to the ground.

Once reduced to ash, nearby villagers would flock to the site as vultures do to carrion, eagerly picking out the small treasures before returning home with pockets full of still-hot iron.

However, this was not the only way people used nail making to overcome poverty.

Many families established small nail-making workshops within their homes, either beside the fireplace or in the backyard.

During evenings or days of bad weather, the whole family would gather around their makeshift forge and spend hours producing nails for personal use or to barter with others.

Even Vice President Thomas Jefferson took part in the craft, proudly writing in a letter: "I am myself a nail-maker…"

He also wrote that "…my new trade of nail making is to me in this country what an additional title of nobility or the ensigns of a new order are in Europe." (Thomas Jefferson, 1795.)

The Cut Nail

The hand-forged nail eventually evolved into the cut nail.

The manufacturing process became more automated and far less time-consuming than before.

Although the machines still required operators, they greatly reduced production times.

This allowed the finished nails to be sold at a much lower price.

The process was first developed in America and involved cutting large sheets of iron into the required shape.

Workers ensured that the fibres of the iron continued to run along the length of the finished nail, helping to maintain its strength.

Cut nails, also known as square nails, are still produced today, although on a much smaller scale than during the early 1800s.

They are now mainly used for historical restoration work and heavy-duty applications, a far cry from their mass manufacture in Birmingham during the 1860s.

The decline of the cut nail began with the introduction of the inexpensive wire nail.

Formed from coils of wire, the earliest examples were not intended for heavy construction.

Instead, they were primarily used in the manufacture of pocket-book frames and cigar boxes during the mid-1800s.

Even into the 1890s, most builders still preferred cut nails because of their excellent holding power.

By 1913, however, around 90% of all manufactured nails were wire nails.

Their low cost and fully automated production allowed them to be adapted for a wide variety of uses.

This versatility helped wire nails overtake both cut and hand-forged nails, making them the standard type used throughout the modern construction industry.

The Nail As A Symbol

In the Middle Ages, when nails were a precious commodity, there was a traditional custom of hammering nails into crosses, trees or even rocks as an offering for healing and gratitude.

The practice was similar to the custom of throwing coins into a wishing well.

One of the best-known examples is the Stock im Eisen ("Staff in Iron"), an ancient tree trunk preserved behind glass in Vienna.

Hundreds of nails remain embedded in the wood, with the first believed to have been driven into the living tree around 1440.

The iron band surrounding the trunk bears the date 1575, and numerous legends have grown around this unusual monument over the centuries.

In later years, the nail also became a patriotic symbol through the creation of Nail Men, the first of which appeared in 1915.

The most famous example is the Wehrmann im Eisen ("Warrior in Iron"), shown below.

The statue still stands in Vienna and remains one of the best-known surviving Nail Men.

Nail Men were created to raise funds and inspire an impoverished Germany and Austria during the First World War.

Visitors made donations in exchange for hammering a nail into the wooden statue.

The type of nail reflected the size of the donation, with iron, silver-plated and gold-plated nails representing different contribution levels.

The location of each nail also varied in price.

For example, placing a nail in the knight's shield cost more than placing one in his sleeve, allowing supporters to contribute according to their means.

People throughout Germany and Austria were encouraged to take part in this public display of patriotism.

The nail quickly became a widely recognised national symbol.

From a simple hand-forged fastener to a symbol of craft, trade and national identity, the humble nail has travelled a remarkable path through history.

Today it remains an everyday object, found in everything from period restorations to modern construction.