Materials. Nails were formerly made of bronze or wrought iron and were crafted by blacksmiths and nailors. These crafts people used a heated square iron rod that they forged before they hammered the sides which formed a point.

What year did they stop making square nails?

Until about 1800, nails were hand-forged – tapered square shafts and hand-hammered heads. During the 1800s, cut nails have tapered rectangular shafts and rectangular heads. In the 1900s, the round wire nail with straight sides and a round head are the standard.

How old are square cut nails?

They were made individually by blacksmiths. Square-head nails were made from the late 1700s until about 1830. Most were machine-cut and finished off by a blacksmith who squared the heads. From 1830 to 1890, cabinetmakers used headless, machine-cut nails that are a tapered, rectangular shape.

What are square nails used for?

These solid-steel nails are often used for framing and face-nailing floors. Rooted in age-old tradition, our period restoration square boat nails are cut much the same way they were 150 years ago.