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Decorative Nails

Mon 05 Mar 2007 - 14:59

Decorative Nails
By Mary Barrett

Today these types of nails are often referred to as 'clavos nails'. Did you know that Clavos is Spanish for Nail? So...a clavos nail is actually a "Nail Nail". It is an all-encompassing term that includes a history of nail making that dates back thousands of years. Buildings and homes today use clavos nails to regain the look and feel of buildings built long ago and sometimes to create a new look altogether.

The history of the nail is a long adventure. At some point in time man discovered that when iron was heated it could be forged into different shapes and when cooled depending upon that shape it could be very useful. Nails were probably among the first tools to find purpose. From then on nails were a demand item.

The first nails were individually forged. They were beaten into shape, tapered on all four sides, and then struck against a mold form at the head of the nail.
To use the nail, it was reheated by the blacksmith, and then driven through the wooden door or rail. The protruding spike end of the nail was then quickly hammered over while it was still hot. This" clenching" of the nail created an automating tightening of the nail, as the metal constricted during the cooling process. The hot nail would often actually char or burn a soft wood, so when looking at antique doors with clench nails, a sure sign of authenticity is a slight burning of the wood around the hammered over spike.

Sometime in the 1600-1700's the cut nail made it's appearance. After hammering the hot iron into sheets the sheets were cut into long pieces of the required thickness for the nails. Cut nails were then sheared from steel. Another machine forged the head and tip of the nail. These cut nails were two sided representing the steel thickness they were sheared from. This process greatly improved the time and labor involved in making the nails.

When considering Clavos Nails, there are many hardware manufacturers offering Clavos in various shapes, sizes, and materials. Their application can be purely decorative, as they are often simply screwed into the wood to create a "look". They are particularly beautiful on large entrance doors, reminding us of the original "Clench" nails that would have held the door together. Other uses include wine cellar doors, garage doors, carriage house doors and gate doors.

Clavos nails can also be used with decorative strap hinges in Old World designs. Clavos nails are made in English, French, and American designs, as are the strap hinges, it is easy to create a perfect presentation of both strap hinges with clavos nails. When used instead of a standard screw the look of the hinge is greatly enhanced.

Nail manufacturing has come a long way since those early days however we have not lost our love of the look. Today clavos nails come in all shapes and sizes and their decorative uses are almost endless.

Mary Barrett President European Hardware Company (EHC)

& Lynn Cove Foundry and Forge

800 975-7089 http://www.europeanhardware.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Barrett
http://EzineArticles.com/?Decorative-Nails&id=472875


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