Nail Age & History FAQs-2
Nails as Indicators of Building Age

POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about determining building age by examining its hardware

Antique & Modern Nail age and history questions & answers.

This article series describes antique and modern cut nails focusing on hand wrought and cut nails used in wood frame construction or interior finishing or carpentry work.

Companion articles in this series describes and illustrates antique & modern hardware: door knobs, latches, hinges, window latches, hardware, nails & screws can help determine a building's age by noting how those parts were fabricated: by hand, by machine, by later generations of machine.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

FAQs on Finding the Age of Nails

These questions & answers about determining the age of nails and other building hardware were posted originally at the topic home page:

NAILS, AGE & HISTORY - home - be sure to review that article.

Also see the nail age determination questions and answers suggested

at NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY - use this key to guess at the age of your nail or spike

[Click to enlarge any image]

On 2020-06-14 - by (mod) - dating iron fragments

Sheila

Thank you for the interesting photo and question about those antique iron fragments.

The amount of corrosion is so extreme I can't see much, but these may be sprites or early headless nails. See if there are any splits running the length of the fragments as that can help with dating.

On 2020-06-13 12:43:14.471498 by Sheila

This was found while digging for fence posts. Last year two artifacts were found mere yards away. They include an antler tool spearhead and stone tomahawk axe. Site is near Indian village and mound burials.

Currently it is in city limits downtown. French settlement in northwest Ohio.

On 2020-05-31 by (mod) - large thin round-head on thin hand-wrought nail

Looks hand wrought. [Photo above]

I also posted 3 of your photos over at NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY

Where you'll find a series of questions that can help put a nail into context and maybe make a guess at its age.

That large head suggests it was intended to hold some thin material to a surface, such as tin or canvas.

Country, city, location, surrounding buildings, etc. are suggested questions in the companion article I cited.

On 2020-05-31 by Robert Cox

Curious of the age of this"nail" any info would be great!

On 2020-05-29 by peggyannosborne

Am adding some other photos for detail. I lightened them under macro lens to show more detail. I hope it helps clarify! thank you, and Regards, PeggyAnn

Clinched-nail, Island in Atlantic off East Coast of Canada (C) InspectApedia.com Peg Osborne

...

On 2020-05-29 - by (mod) - Eastern Canada - Island Coast Nails, clinched?

To peggyannosborne

Thanks for your interesting photo and query.

That bent-over nail suggest to me that this was a "clinched" nail, hammered through layers of wood material and then bent-over to resist withdrawal.

That actually gives a date range as we explain at NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY

As we note on this page

Before the 1830s the iron fibres in machine cut nails ran across the nail shank, causing the nail to break off if the user tried to clinch it's protruding end.

So we know that your nail is post 1830.

If we can see more details of head and shank of the nail we might know more, but it's so rusted I'm doubtful.

The clue that remains is that tapering under the head.

Look closely at the shank diameter for tapering and for signs to confirm it's a cut nail.

On that Nail Age Determination Key page we quote Nelson:

If your cut nail is irregular in shank width and has the "A" type side burrs it's likely to have been made before the late 1830s.

On 2020-05-27 by peggyannosborne

Had no idea nails had so much to them until I found this site! :) After a big storm the other day, I found an odd nail, iron, that looks very handmade, & has a strange shape.

(Looking at your site, I discovered some nails are bent over at the tip or clinched, but this seems not to quite fit that bill. ) I took a bunch of pics of it & of of the way it was found in my yard following a huge windstorm.

I live on an island in the Atlantic, just off the east coast of Canada, where there were a great many large sailing ships docking in the 1700 and 1800s. It was a also an active boat building area.

Historically, it was settled by Acadians during the late 1700s, and had also during the tall ship era, been a busy trading port for the US, and for European fishing vessels. Earlier, and until the mid 1800s, MicMac tribes were frequently in the area to fish and hunt.

My land is on the ocean, mostly forested, After a tree uprooted completely & fell from the wind earlier this week, I noticed a little rock/dirt fall that came down an incline from the fallen tree root/base; this nail was lying atop a flat old stone. (It had not been there before, as I often walk our dog in that area & would have seen it.

This large heavy oval shaped stone, was an anchor stone from a "picasse" (old French-style anchor) & had been lying there for some time, long before we moved here 18 years ago The wooden anchor parts long ago rotted away but the stone was still there.

At first, I thought perhaps it was a nail from that old anchor, but when we moved here, I was told the anchor was a 20th C version, not a really old one.

After rooting around under vegetation I was able to find some of the rotted wood from the anchor that still had rope attached; in the wood were two somewhat rusted heavy "normal-looking" nails, nothing at all like this nail made of iron.

They were far thicker, far more machine-made and the head was flat and even sitting like a cap above a smooth even nail. The iron nail has a head that slopes down onto the shaft part, very unlike the steel nails.

So, all in all, I've no idea if this iron nail has been here for a very very long time, had been buried & now unearthed, or had blown in on one of our windstorms or a hurricane we had last fall that brought several huge trees down on our property & washed many things ashore.

I have taken pictures of where I found the nail, the surroundings, and about 50 various ones of the nail itself, as it has intrigued me. Now, perhaps you will recognize it as a 20th or 21st C nail that just got really badly rusted, but I am pretty sure it is not.

It will be very educational for me, whatever your can tell about it. Let me know if you want more pictures: i could post them on Dropbox for you to see.

The nail is very rusty, quite dark overall, and has some small reddish areas.

Some of the pics are natural in color: others I lightened a lot in order to show detail and shape better. The hooked or bent end is so odd: I cannot figure out how it got the flattened triangular shape if it was from being pounded down and over or clinched.

I seems far too purposeful, but what the heck other thing could it have been, as one could not drive a nail through anything with the bent-over foot. Help! :). Peggy Ann

On 2020-05-24 - by (mod) - long thin nail from UK garden near mining village

Matt

Thank you for the old nail Soto and question.

The nail is so badly rusted that it's hard to see key details, but it's length in the bit of the sides that I can see suggest that it may be hand-wrought not machine cut.

On 2020-05-24 by Matt

Found this nail in my garden. We live in the UK in an old mining village which was built circa 1894. Would anyone have any info about this nail?

On 2020-05-06 - by (mod) - Irish Coast Nail

Jon,

Thanks for the interesting but very corroded Irish nail photo. Can you take a closer look to guess at

1. is the nail shank really round or just rounded by corrosion?

2. are there any hammer or forging marks?

3. are there any splits in the nail? that can bracket the age

On 2020-05-05 1 by Jon

Found washed up on beach East coast of Ireland...any thoughts?

On 2020-03-06 by Anonymous - detail of flat rounded head, round-shanked nail

On 2019-09-27 - by (mod) - Nail from old fort in Valencia, Spain

I'm unsure, too, Karen as the corrosion is quite deep;

that tapered head is perhaps a key to further research, along with nail size and history of wood usage and buildings at the Valencia site.

I'll see what else we can find on rectangular tapered head spikes.

On 2019-09-27 by Karen

I picked this up last summer off a path around the old fort in Valenca, Spain.

I've tried to match it to photos on online resources but can't be certain of its origin.

It's 11cms in length, has a square head and tapers to a point; looks to be forged rather than cut.

Probably iron rather than copper or brass and it is rather corroded. Can anyone suggest its age and origin?

On 2020-05-06 - by (mod) -

Maddie,

I don't think that was a bolt but I'd agree that it's sufficiently corroded that we can't see alot.

If the shank cross-section is really round (not just "rounded" from rusting) then it's a modern nail.

On 2020-05-05 by Maddie

Hi there! I found this nail while looking for arrowheads in a farmer's feild in Southeast Michigan.

My dad says it might be a bolt, but it certainly looks old. I do not know too much about this, apologies! If you need any more photos, please let me know! :)

On 2020-05-07 - by (mod) - Sprites and other square cut headless nails

1805 - present: nails made completely by machine

Take a look at our description of nail "sprites" - small headless cut nails, described

at NAILS, AGE & HISTORY - topic home.

On 2020-05-07 1 by Anonymous - head of square cut Norwegian nail sprite

It's a square cut nail, headless I added another picture. Just wonder how old it is.

On 2020-05-06 - by (mod) - Norwegian-made "sprite" nail

Anon -

That may be a Norwegian-made "sprite" - take a look at the headless sprite nail photo near the top of this page.

Check the nail under a magnifying glass to see if you can see any splits in the iron. The direction of such splitting is another clue to the nail's age, as we'll discuss further if you can see anything.

On 2020-05-05 by Anonymous

Hi from Norway, I found this old nail, buried around 10 inches deep , probably from the 17th or 18th century ?

Or is it a nail ?

On 2020-05-05 - by (mod) - round shanked modern "wire" nail identification tips

I don't think these are old nails, Gary. The regular annular rings near the nail head and the round shank of the nail are characteristic of modern "wire" nails made by modern machinery.

The annular rings on the nail shank just under the nail head are imposed when the machine grasps the nail shank to form the nail head.

On 2020-05-05 by Gary - round nails found in Utah at 8000 ft elevation.

I would like to "date" these nails\spikes found in the mountains of Utah about 8000 feet. They were also located in an area subject to heavy moisture much of the year.

I have attached a photo alongside of a washer found with them. I don't believe them to be that old, but not sure.

The nails are 6-7 inches long and have the annular rings on 2 sides and located just under the circular head.

The real question is if it is possible that they could be older than 1900, and if so, how much older?

On 2020-05-05 by (mod)

Apologies, Brenda but the photo is a bit to blurry for me to have an opinion about the fastener

On 2020-05-05 by Brenda - 18th century house basement ceiling "nail"

HI, I attached a picture of a late 18th century house basement ceiling. I am so curious about the nail. It looks metal or steal I guess.

Someone told me the would is 1900.
I appreciate your input and I hope everyone is safe. Thank you
Bren

On 2020-04-20 - by (mod) -

Dan

Thank you for the question and photos of an old nail and its age and fabrication details.

To have space for a detailed reply, I've moved your photos and my response into the

article NAILS, AGE & HISTORY - home, in the article section on nail and hardware age beginning at 1815.

Please take a look and don't hesitate to comment further or ask further.

If you can give me a very sharp higher-resolution photo of the nail that would be helpful.

You may need to clear your browser cache or refresh the page to see my updates and additions to the article.

On 2020-04-20 by Dan Nelson

Here is a pic of the head of the nail in question. Thanks.

On 2020-03-30 by Kerri

Found it but know nothing about it

On 2020-02-01 - by (mod) -

Sounds interesting, Kerry; You might try some patent searches using various combinations of your observations

On 2020-02-01 by Kerry Emmerson

Hi.
I found an old square nail on the bedrock beneath the overburden on Indian Creek, Happy Camp, Siskiyou county. CA.
It had a wire center of a harder. shinier, woven steel.

I am not mistaken here. I wish I hadn't misplaced it as nobody has heard of it nor can I locate their existence online. I'm still looking.

On 2020-01-03 - by (mod) - age of big spike with groove in side

Gee I'm not sure Shirlee;

Those very big spikes were often used in post and beam construction - making the structure newer than those using wooden pegs or "treenails" - late 1800s

On 2019-12-29 by Shirlee

Here is another picture that shows the groove on the side.

On 2019-12-29 by Shirlee

I found this while hiking off a trail in Maryland and am curious about it. It was partially buried near what looked like the stone foundation of a one room cabin.

It is 12 inches long and has grooves on two sides. In the same area, I also found a wrought iron wall bracket that I was able date to circa 1870. Do you know what it is and what it might have been used for?

I don’t see hammer marks on it.

On 2021-06-29 by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod)

@RoboElv,

The uniformity and form of those tacks and the fact that a black coating remains on them all look "modern" to me.

Keep in mind that tack-making machines are among the oldest of machine-made nails and fasteners.

On 2021-06-29 by RoboElv

@inspectapedia.com.moderator, Thanks I did wonder that although they seem quite chunky and solid. Given the pyramid head on them someone did suggest they were "old style decorative Iron door, gate wood studs craft nails". I made a mistake on the first message to, they are 30mm top to bottom.

On 2021-06-29 by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod)

@RoboElv,

Perhaps upholstery tacks, those are large-head machine-made tacks. Probably modern.

On 2021-06-28 by RoboElv

I don't know if they are old or not although we have had a cloth sack of nails in the back of various garages for at least 50 years, The heads are around 2cm across and the nail 2cm long. The heads are round although have a cross effect on them with the centre being raised.

On 2021-06-25 by mak.church (mod)

@Susan Row,

That looks like a modern cut-nail, and those diagonal indents may be artifacts of the nail-making machine's gripping mechanism.

In addition to all the information about old nails on this page, I would suggest the following article which will give you several easy questions to help determine the age of this nail. Especially as it was part of your grandmother's estate, you may have relevant knowledge as to its age as you look at these questions:

Age and History of Antique Nails
https://inspectapedia.com/interiors/Determine-age-of-old-nails.php

And there are examples from other readers' 'finds' at:
Antique Nail Age & History FAQs
inspectapedia.com/interiors/Age-of-Nails-FAQs.php

Please let us know if you have additional questions.

On 2021-06-25 by Susan Row

Recently I had a wood frame repaired. It came from my grandmother's estate. The man who did the repairs gave me one of the tiny nails that he had to remove, because he thought it interesting and very old. It has 4 sides and is distinctly rectangular. How accurately can its age be determined? It is 1 inch long.

On 2021-06-14 by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod) - antique nail from Boonton Iron Works Site in New Jersey

@Bill,

That nail is quite rusted but it looks as if the shaft and head were hand-forged; take a look under magnification to see if there are any splits that indicate direction of iron fibres. Then see:

NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY - use this key to guess at the age of your nail or spike

Contains our best suggestions for maiming surrounding contextual data and making physical observations that will help you guess at the age of a nail or Spike

On 2021-06-13 by Bill

Hi, I found this nail near the site of the old Boonton Iron Works / New Jersey Iron Company site (operational late 1700's to 1911. It's 2.5" long and the head is 0.5" across.

Can you please help me understand a bit more about it? particularly interested in knowing how old it is. Thanks, Bill

On 2021-06-07 by mak.church (mod)

@E,
In addition to all the information about old nails on this page, you may enjoy learning some new facts and examples at the following articles:

1) AGE AND HISTORY OF ANTIQUE NAILS

And there are examples from other readers' 'finds' at:

2) NAILS & HARDWARE, AGE FAQs Q&A on Nails as Indicators of Building Age

On 2021-06-07 by E

Hello! I recently found this nail while out metal detecting. Do you possibly know how old it is? Thank you so much!

On 2021-06-06 by mak.church (mod)

@Hollywood Hills trail,

See the nail or spike age-guessing help at:

NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY

and

also above on this very page

On 2021-06-06 by Hollywood Hills trail

Hi!
I found this I retesting nail up in the Hollywood Hills in Bronson Canton below the Hollywood Sign (not under it, but at the base of the trail).
Any idea of how old it might be?
Dave

On 2021-06-04 by giles.denise

@inspectapedia.com.moderator,
The nails go into the paper... but that doesn't mean that the paper wasn't old when the nails when into it.
The only other visible hardware on the frame are some eye-bolts holding the wire/cable to hang the (heavy) frame. The cable looks old-but 'modern.'..similar to electrical wires that used to be insulated on the outside from maybe the 1920's ish).

I can say that I was trying to take photos of all four sides of the nails that I had wiggled out-- I noted that the smaller has a small twist in it.. like it didn't quite lay flat as I turned it onto 2 of it's sides.

I might just have to wait until I see a need to actually reframe. It's pretty nice the way it is.

On 2021-06-04 by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod)

@Denise,

Are you confident that those nails are original - and thus similar in age as the newspaper?

Are there other types of nails in the same frame?

Those nails look quite straight - if they're cut they may be more modern than we first guessed. Are there any burr marks for cuts on the nail edges?

This is a nice example of using contextual evidence (newsprint) to help date an object like an old nail.

On 2021-06-04 by Denise

These nails are holding on the back panel of the frame holding a lithograph I recently bought at a second hand store.

While not necessarily of the same timeline, the lithographer is from Berlin, the distributor, New York. I just purchased it in Oregon.

The edges of the newspaper (that I can see) beneath the framing have American spellings, and there is a reference to Ellis H. Roberts (a politiician of the 1870's) - I've not removed the whole panel to get a date from the newspaper as I don't want to mess with the framing only to satisfy my curiosity.

On 2021-05-24 - by (mod) -

@J d byers,

Nice. What else do we know: country, city, location of find, nail dimensions, properties, appearance, age of buildings nearby? Photos?

On 2021-05-24 by J d byers

We found a nail that has J on the head

On 2021-05-08 - by (mod) - railroad spikes mostly machine made

@Joshua,

Looks as if it may be but it's so badly corroded it's lost a lot of the original material and so its clues.

Beyond looking just at that spike or nail, see the age-guessing help at NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY

https://inspectapedia.com/interiors/Determine-age-of-old-nails.php

If it's a railroad spike it's probably machine-made.

On 2021-12-01 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator - 5 pointed star on nail head

@Linda,

Thank you for the interesting photo and the history related to it.

Our best and most complete advice are in the steps given above on this page.

In essence, as you’ll read above, when estimating the age, properties, use, and history of a metal fastener like a nail, spike, or screw, we look at:

1. the item itself for clues about how it was made, of what materials, and in some cases iron fibre direction that can bracket age of manufacture

2. contextual clues: what we know from surrounding materials, location, history of the area, building age, etc.

Using the above page's details and related articles may help answer your questions.

On 2021-12-01 by Linda

Found 2013 when replacing the beams under the 2nd floor balcony on my building in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. We are a "World Heritage Site", (Conquistadors).

The beams in the Spanish built buildings are of Ausubo and last "forever" which apparently ended c. 20 years ago, since many owners are having to replace their beams.

The nail could have been from original construction, or later repair. I've been in this building 50 years, and as far as I know, I'm the first to replace any beams.

[Photo above]

On 2021-11-29 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@Mark Ryan,
It's a reasonable guess that if part of a nail shank is round it's one of the more modern fasteners described in this article series.

On 2021-11-29 by Mark Ryan

Found this and another broken off end out at Eldorado Victoria Australia. Just wondering about how old it might be. Eldorado is an old gold mining town.
Has a square head then looks to be a round shaft that changes into 4 edges.

On 2021-10-08 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@Anonymous, Our best and most complete advice are in the steps given at the top of this page.

In essence, as you’ll read above, when estimating the age, properties, use, and history of a metal fastener like a nail, spike, or screw, we look

1. at the item itself for clues about how it was made, of what materials, and in some cases iron fibre direction that can bracket age of manufacture

2. at contextual clues: what we know from surrounding materials, location, history of the area, etc.

You can also read more at:

HISTORY & PHOTOS OF NAILS

On 2021-10-08 by Bruce Stanton

Another angle.

Found this nail at Lunada Bay in Palos Verdes California above ground after a rain. Any idea of the age/ use?

On 2021-10-02 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@Jamie,

Looks man-made to me, but I agree that it's an odd shape and that it seems to have an inclusion.

On 2021-10-02 by Jamie

Is this a nail? What I thought was a possible meteorite rock had a slight split in it. Decided to break it and this was in it. Hit it with rock and all the other stuff just fell off it

On 2021-09-22 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@Ryan N.,

The nail is bent over without breaking, so we know it's iron fibers run ĺongways, one dating factor in the nail age keys given on this page.

On 2021-09-22 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@Ryan N.,
The above article notes several ways to help determine the age of this nail, and therefore help determine the age of the wood.

This section may help specifically: "Physical properties of the nail or spike itself can give nail age & age of building or furniture or tools"

In addition, the following article provides even more information and photos that may help answer your questions:

ANTIQUE NAILS: HISTORY & PHOTO EXAMPLES OF OLD NAILS at https://inspectapedia.com/interiors/Nails_Hardware_Age.php

On 2021-09-22 by Ryan N.

This is the top of the nail head

Is there any way to date this nail? It was found in this piece of driftwood on a beach in Provincetown, MA after a storm. The area has a long history of boating activity so I’m hoping the nail can help age the wood.

On 2021-07-10 by mak.church (mod)

@Chris Wolfe,
Even if you don't know the age of the building, several of the items above on this page may help you learn more about this nail, specifically the section on "Physical properties of the nail or spike itself can give nail age & age of building or furniture or tools".

In addition, the following page will have even more information and photos that may help answer your questions:

HISTORY & PHOTOS OF NAILS

On 2021-07-10 by Chris Wolfe

found this very encrusted in rust next to a foundation excavation of an old Wienerschnitzel plot. no idea when the structure or foundation was put in, Santa Cruz, CA, Soquel Ave.

I cleaned it up and brushed it, then noticed the head seemed to be hand made, thought I'd see how old it was! head is round (i think, an edge seems to be rusted/sheared off), the nail at the base of the head seems like it has a vague square shape, but too corroded to be sure.

Maybe the amount of decay might be an indication? It was cleaned by rolling it under foot to crack off the rust, then a bath in vinegar and finally a steel brush.

On 2021-06-29 by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod)

@Samantha, From the article above we have as an earliest possible date for those tacks (and IMO a bit daring)

Early small nails:

1806 - Blanchard Tack Making Machine - 1806

More tack age clues: Context

Adding to the tack age clues from context that I gave earlier, often we can look at the wood itself and any tool marks for some definitive clues.

Saw cuts are a good clue to age, after factoring in the location (Country and city) - see SAW & AXE CUTS, TOOL MARKS, AGE

On 2021-06-29 by Samantha

@inspectapedia.com.moderator, Many thanks. My hunch is that this is a 19th-century painting (18th-century at the earliest). The owner wants it to be 17th-century, so I was hoping the tack might shed some light.

On 2021-06-28 by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod)

@Samantha,

In guessing the age or history of a nail for which we have limited information, providing whatever context we can helps improve the guesswork.

For a tack used to secure the painting canvas to a frame and to learn more about the tack you would

1. go through the fastener age clue suggestions given above on this page

2. give more information about the painting: its image, style, creator, era, age, type of paints, geographic history, present location, and the canvas material itself, weave, composition, fibres, etc.

3. for accurate age windowing of a painting canvas tack the floor under its age would be the age of the original paints or pigments, for which there is an entire and separate body of research as well as paint chemistry tests that can be performed, as well as more-subtle tests such as looking at ink migration or paint migration of signatures into the paint or canvas body.

For the specifics of the appearance of the tack itself, it looks like a cut tack with a hand-forged head; but in the article above you'll find much more-detailed analysis steps such as looking for burr marks on the cut edges, the burr directions, and the direction of iron fibres that is sometimes visible.

On 2021-06-28 by Samantha

Wondering about the age of this nail from the tacking edge of a painting. Any clues are most welcome and thanks in advance!

On 2021-06-19 by Mr Masood Qaderi - 16" 900g iron spike found in Box Hill SAE - UK

I found a big nail from the box hill sae said uk 16inch 900 gram

On 2021-06-14 by (mod) - 1-inch bronze or brass tack nail

@Stephanie F.,

Other than noting that your nail looks as if may be brass, and has a sharp modern shaft, cut in the taper and shape of a tack.

Our best and most complete advice are in the steps given at the top of this page.

In essence, as you’ll read above, when estimating the age, properties, use, and history of a metal fastener like a nail, spike, or screw, we look

1. at the item itself for clues about how it was made, of what materials, and in some cases iron fibre direction that can bracket age of manufacture

2. at contextual clues: what we know from surrounding materials, location, history of the area, etc.

On 2021-06-14 by Stephanie F.

I was hoping you could help me identify this nail. It was found underwater during low tide on the beach. I’m so curious because it seems to be a hand made nail and is not corroded at all (other than some greenish tint). It is just over an inch long and was found in a piece of wood.

On 2021-06-06 by mak.church (mod)

@Betty,
In addition to all the information about old nails on this page, you may enjoy learning some new facts and examples at the following articles:

ANTIQUE NAILS: HISTORY & PHOTO EXAMPLES OF OLD NAILS

And there are examples from other readers' 'finds' at:

ANTIQUE NAIL AGE & HISTORY

On 2021-06-06 by Betty

Maybe old ship spike

Hi someone know what this is?

On 2021-06-03 by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod) - 21.5" massive timber nail Newton Creek in Brooklyn NYC, ca 1840s

@Rollin,

That's certainly an impressive Spike, and one of the biggest that readers have posted here. From the length it's almost certainly one that was used exactly as you pose, on a deck or structure.

Even on large barges I haven't seen spikes that long.

You might want to take a look at the age keys that we give in this article series where there are some more subtle clues such as direction of iron fibers and detail of (or omission of) burr marks on cuts along the long dimension of the spike.

On 2021-06-01 by Rollin

Architecture student here. Found this massive timber nail jetting out the side of a rotting harbor connected to the original rail system in Newton Creek in Brooklyn NYC. It measures exactly 21.5" and has characteristics that fit within pre 1839 and post 1839 period.

Can anyone offer a more experienced opinion on how old this nail is and who possibly manufactured it?

Many thanks

...

On 2021-06-01 by mak.church (mod) - Tangier island, VA

@Brenda Van Dorn, In addition to all the information about old nails on this page, you may enjoy learning some new facts and examples at the following articles:

ANTIQUE NAILS: HISTORY & PHOTO EXAMPLES OF OLD NAILS

And there are examples from other readers' 'finds' at:

ANTIQUE NAIL AGE & HISTORY

On 2021-05-31 by Brenda Van Dorn

Hi, I found this in the beach water off Tangier island, VA. Can you tell me if it is a nail and anything else you can about it. I clean a bunch of rust off it.

...

On 2021-03-03 - by (mod) -

@Sarah, I agree that looks hand-wrought; take a look at the other nail-age guess suggestions in the article NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY

On 2021-03-03 by Sarah

Hi, any guess as to the age of this nail? I found it in the driveway of my 1899 house in North Carolina, but I'm not sure if it came from the house or not. The sides are fairly straight, but the head and tip look like they might have been hand-wrought.

On 2021-02-22 by (mod) - hand forged iron timber frame connector - 1907 or older

Ron

That's pretty interesting;

If you could see the top of the horizontal pit-sawn beam in your photo you might be able to see if there was a through-cut wood tenon at the joint.

Certainly in older post and beam framing those angled supports were cut with a tenon that inserted into a rectangular (usually) mortise cut into the horizontal beam.

but your diagonal framing member looks like smaller-dimension lumber than older post and beam framing, perhaps full-width 2x6 or 2x8" (you don't give country so I'm guessing inches).

If that's the case the builder may have bought or fabricated a spike-type iron connector that either took the place of a wood tenon or that was intended as a reinforcement.

Take a look at our description of post and beam framing, connectors, and saw marks (pit saw) found in

FRAMING AGE, SIZE, SPACING, TYPES

FRAMING MATERIAL AGE

FRAMING METHODS, AGE, TYPES

SAW & AXE CUTS, TOOL MARKS, AGE and note the pit saw marks on that horizontal or girt timber in your photo.

On 2021-02-22 by Ron S

Do you know what kind of connection this is? I am working on a house that says built in 1907 but seems some sections of the house are much older.

On 2021-02-08 by (mod) - please date my nail: straight edge, no taper?

Andrea,

Thank you for the rusty nail age query; from just your photo about all I can see with confidence is that it's probably not a modern round-shanked "wire" nail.

You'll want to step through the suggestions on guessing the age of a nail as given on the page NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY; you'll see that contextual information can often be helpful.

On 2021-02-08 by Andrea Smith

Can you date this nail please?

On 2021-01-29 - by (mod) -

Nice photos,Ray; in NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY see our description of straight-sided nail shanks starting at

5.2 Nail shank as an indicator of nail age

I suspect the rust is so sever you can't see burr marks.

On 2021-01-29 by Ray Byrd

Here is another picture from a different angle.

I found this near my home is the U.S.A. Newton County, Georgia. No other standing buildings in the area except for my house that was built in 1999. It is about 5-5.5" long and no obvious cracks/splits in the metal. Any idea how old it is? Or what it was used for?

On 2021-01-03 by Elise

Hi! I was metal detectoring in Texas when I found around 20 nails in a fifteen foot area. They all appear to be from the same maker and time period but I can’t tell when that is. I think they are handmade but I don’t know. Here are some pictures.

On 2021-01-02 by Alexis

I found an old nail today inside of an old tree that was rotting inside but still living I saw the head and pulled it out of the inside of the tree. Found in Beaufort, SC.

On 2020-10-11 by (mod)

In the NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY, Joan we see that a hand-wrought head and a nail shank with uniform taper might help date this nail as 1830 to present.

On 2020-10-11 by Joan

Hi, I’m hoping someone can give me an idea of how old this is. Bought an antique washstand today, I know nothing about it’s age or background.

A guy was selling it online, he found it sitting in a garage on a property he bought. This nail fell out of the back of the washstand as we were unloading it from my car. Length of nail is 1.25 inches or 2.54 mm.

On 2020-09-19 by (mod) - antique spike with hole in tip

Thank you for the interesting antique nail photo and inquiry David. I don't know for sure what that hole-tipped spike or nail was for and in fact I'm not sure it was ever intended to be a fastener.

An offset hail head - if it's a nail - is often found where a nail was intended to be easily removed later, and in larger spikes, to hold a plate in place such as on railroad ties.

The hole in the tip makes this look like loom shuttle. Arguing against that is that usually a shuttle was made of wood. I'm researching further and include here a close-up of your iron spike with oblong hole in tip.

On 2020-10-03 by David Perry

I found this while metal detecting old colonial woods in Massachusetts. In the Sudbury area. Near homesteads and agricultural areas. 5" spike with what looks like the eye of a needle on its tip. Any clues?

On 2020-09-19 by (mod)

Kat, that looks like a modern "wire" or round-shanked machine made nail.

On 2020-09-19 by Kat

I found these while metal detecting in the Pamlico Sound area/Coastal North Carolina area in a rural lumber/ wooded lot. Any ideas on the age and use? I’ve since found about 6 more, all bent in the same way, with no surrounding material.

On 2020-07-02 - by (mod) - age of nails in antique church pew

Very nice photos, Kathy. In the article NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY you'll find my discussion of antique cut nails that are wider mid-shank, such as in your photo. Here is an excerpt from my photos in this article.

On 2020-07-02 by Kathy caisse

I just disassembled an old pew. It was free. Previous owner bought it from a church in new england 1960s.
It had a history of nails in it. These seemed the oldest.

Below: Photo of antique nails from a church pew from reader Caisse

Below: photo of not-so-old round headed nail from reader Garcia

[Sorry, original text lost] We commented that as a round-headed "wire" nail this is probably a modern fastener.

On 2020-05-31 - by (mod) - large thin headed square shank nail age

Looks hand wrought.

Where you'll find a series of questions that can help put a nail into context and maybe make a guess at its age.

That large head suggests it was intended to hold some thin material to a surface, such as tin or canvas.

Country, city, location, surrounding buildings, etc. are suggested questions in the companion article I cited.

On 2020-05-31 by RC

RC said:

Found this small square shank nail with large head while out metal-detecting.

Any idea what it is or its age?

3 photos:

1 above

2 below

...

On 2020-05-17 - by (mod) - round threaded fastener is modern

Thanks for the question and photo, Foot.

From those regular threads I infer that this is a modern fastener.

On 2020-05-17 by footredlion

Hi there, I found this today on a beach . It was with a piece if wood that it was once nailed into. Any ideas? It is around 3" - Thanks

On 2020-03-25 - by (mod) -

CB

The nail is so rusty and absent of information that, with regret, I can't say much about it.

However, take a look through the suggestions on the page NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY where we discuss how to guess the age of old nails and hardware.

Noting things like:

Country, city where found
History of construction and mercantile activity in the area
Age of surrounding buildings or building remains
Subtle clues such as splits in the iron of the nail or burr marks or hand hammering marks

can all support a reasonable guess at the nail's history, age, and use.

On 2020-03-25 by C Bradley

Hi, My children and I found the attached image of an old rusty iron nail 8n the local woods, and wanted to do a history project on it but cannot find any examples of what it could be on the internet.

It 24cms in length with a large round head. Any suggestions much appreciated.

On 2020-03-14 - by (mod) - Nail from Victoria BC tide pool

I can't see much, JJ, but it looks like a fairly-modern round flat head machine made nail. Are there hammer marks? Is the tip machine cut?

On 2020-03-14 by JJG

I found this in a tidal pool near Victoria B.C. and was wondering about its age.

On 2020-02-05 by (mod) - old spike from Colorado

looks hand wrought and large enough to be a timber frame, mining timber, or railroad tie spike.

On 2020-02-05 by Carrie

Found this spike while cleaning out my mother’s treasures. From Colorado most likely, any thoughts? Has a long drive down the side. Thanks!

On 2020-01-20 by (mod) -

How interesting, Gabby. Rectangular shank, tapered neck under a large flat nail-head. What is the length of the nail?

Is that blue color something you did to the nail?

On 2020-01-20 by Gabby

We found this old nail in a river and I haven't found any pictures and was wondering about its history as it seems unique.

On 2019-09-09 2 by (mod) - age of canvas painting stretcher tack

A bit blurry Marlon, but that looks to me like a machine made cut nail or tack - that shape continues into modern production.

However sometimes we can see a detail such as a split or fracture line in the iron of the nail that can date it or a magnified view may show which side(s) of the nail bear cut or stamping burrs that can also identify a nail as modern or older.

Sorry but from just the photo I'm uncertain about any more detailed guess.

On 2019-09-09 by Marlon Sigler

Hi, I read the complete articule. Very interesting how nails contribute to know the age of a building as well, I think, a work of art.

I have this painting that was stretched using the type of nails in the picture. I’m wondering in what period was this nail produced and when the production itself stoped. Please advise. Thank you!

On 2019-09-09 by (mod) - antique nail from Norwegian church

Ole

Really upsetting to everyone I'm sure about the fire. Maybe we should post a photo of the remains as a warning. Anyway, see what you can salvage., safely.

You may have seen that we've visited Norway and documented some of the historic buildings there. Certainly sorry to lose this one.

On 2019-09-09 1 by Ole

Thanks a lot for the swift reply! I am going to hand it over to the archaeological faculty for closer inspection, which means that I will lose it to the state of Norway if it's medieval, but I support that.

The vee-splits certainly did do their job... until somebody set fire (!) to the 800 years old building recently. Speechless.

The spike was salvaged from the rubbles shortly before they were disposed of for good... I'll let you know what the other experts say!

On 2019-09-09 by (mod) -

Ole that's a very interesting spike - having those vee-shaped details along the spike shaft that would have been intended to resist withdrawal from wood.

I suspect this is a fairly modern nail: a closer look is warranted but I don't see hand forging hammer marks. The spike is probably too big to be a candidate for cut nail processes.

I don't see any splits along the long axis of the nail that could date the iron itself .

My guess would be late 1800s

On 2019-09-09 by Ole

Hi, here's what I found in the relics of a Norwegian stave church, originally raised around 1200 AD.

I am wondering if this is from around that time (it was rather uncommon to use iron nails around that time, but it did occur occasionally) or whether this might have been added when the building saw extensive reconstruction around 1690 AD, or possibly even later, when it was reconstructed again in the 1890's. Any help much appreciated!

On 2019-07-17 by (mod) - how old is this spike?

Bri

I don't see hammer marks or other hand forging details. I don't see delamination lines nor machine cut lines that would let us guess a date range;

Best bet is to go through the few nail dating questions at NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY

Also when posting a "how old is this " photo it's helpful to know

Country

City

Age of surrounding building or building materials (if pertinent)

On 2019-07-16 by Briguy

Hi does anyone know about when this spike was made? I found it metal detecting. Thank you

On 2021-11-13 by (mod)

@Ryan,

Our most-complete advice on guessing age is at:

NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY

And you may find the information in this next article helpful and interesting as well:

ANTIQUE NAILS: HISTORY AND PHOTOS

On 2021-11-13 by Ryan

I found what appears to be a bolt from a ship. It was located near Port Edward on the South African coast. Does anyone have any guidance as to where it could be from. Everything I can find points to a possible 16C Portuguese Galleon which leads me to believe it could be from the Sao Joao but I don't want to jump the gun.

On 2021-11-10 by (mod)

@Julia Sweet,

Nice, very rusty nail or fastener; mostly rusted away;

Perhaps that rounded shank (typically characteristic of a modern "wire" nail or spike) will give you one of the identification key clues discussed at

NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY https://inspectapedia.com/interiors/Determine-age-of-old-nails.php

On 2021-11-10 by Julia Sweet

Found washed ashore after storm on beach in NE FL today. 7 in long and bent at top. Can anyone help ID use of this nail? (if it is a nail?)

On 2021-09-27 by (mod)

@Ulises,

That looks like a bronze or brass nail that is broken off, perhaps from a ship timber.

It would be interesting to look at that fragment inner stereo microscope to see if you can detect tool marks or burr marks that would be a clue to its type of manufacture and thus possibly its
age.

On 2021-09-27 by Ulises

I ve found this piece a few years back while snorkeling in Almeria, Spain. Never knew what it is, and still dont. I though it could be gold, but it isnt. I ve tested in a local gold shop. I still think it is old so i hope someone could tell me something about it

On 2021-07-17 by (mod)

@Anonymous,

The nail head looks modern

See the clues discussed at NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY inspectapedia.com/interiors/Determine-age-of-old-nails.php

On 2021-07-16 by Anonymous

On 2021-06-19 by (mod)

@Mr Masood Qaderi,

some of the clues discussed at NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY inspectapedia.com/interiors/Determine-age-of-old-nails.php

may be helpful,

On 2021-06-19 by Mr Masood Qaderi

I found nail from the beach I don't know how old it is & 16inch

On 2021-05-05 - by (mod) -

@Ryan, nice spiral-shanked nail photo; that's a modern nail, designed to provide increased resistance against withdrawal.

On 2021-05-05 by Ryan

Looking for some info on a nail I found 11” long and 3/4” diameter

On 2021-04-27 by Nicola

Any information on this beauty would be gratefully received.

On 2021-04-26 by Anonymous

THX!
This is another look. The 3 at the top right are those "bronze" nails.
Any idea as to how old or what kind of boat?

On 2021-04-26 - by (mod) - iron spikes, bronze spikes, copper sheeting, chainplate, deadeyes retrieved by snorkel-diving

@Ricar, nice collection;

On 2021-04-26 by Ricar

I was snorkeling with my boy the other day and he found something weird, he picked it up and it was a nail encrusted in a piece of burned wood. We started looking around and found quite a few pieces, iron spikes, bronze (or a mix of bronze) spikes, copper sheet and what we believe was a chainplate that we recovered.

There were at least another two of these in the bottom. It is about 7 feet long and I believe they use to have a wooden block inside the loop with 3 wholes in them and were called deadeyes.

On 2021-04-14 - by (mod) -

@Ceci, in the recommended articles links at the end of this page you'll find more detailed things you can check about your found nails are listed at

NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY

On 2021-04-14 by Ceci

I live in east Cobb - marietta Georgia. In cleaning out a stream behind our property, I found these two “nails” on a bend around a large rock.

On 2021-04-03 - by (mod) -

@Barry, some details given at NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY inspectapedia.com/interiors/Determine-age-of-old-nails.php

may help with your specific nail, in particular looking at details of how the nail head was forged, burrs that tell you how and on which sides the nail was cut or forged, and a look for splits telling the direction of iron fibres, and also the importance of that uniformly-tapered nail shank.

those are not details we can assess from a photo;

The nail will survive well as a bit of jewelry, kept indoors, not left out in the rain;

But you'll want to look at the question of age and direction of iron fibres, as if your plans include bending the nail across its length, a cross-fibered nail may break.

On 2021-04-03 by Barry

I have come into posession of a square cut nail reportedly from a east coast US cabin constructed approx. 1800. Based on what I read it appears authentic. I'd like an opinion on this and a tip on preserving it if I were to use it in a jewelry project. Any advice would be most appreciated.

On 2021-03-29 by (mod)

@Duncan, some of the clues discussed at NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY https://inspectapedia.com/interiors/Determine-age-of-old-nails.php

may be helpful, such as looking for cut marks, hammer marks, and any splits that tell you the direction of the iron fibres in your short spike.

On 2021-03-29 by Duncan

Iron Nail/Bolt found on Thames foreshore at Gravesend in Kent. Almost 4 inches long, square shaft, peaked head

On 2021-03-24 - by (mod) -

@Bob, the 1800's

- Adams, William Hampton. "Machine cut nails and wire nails: American production and use for dating 19th-century and early-20th-century sites." Historical Archaeology 36, no. 4 (2002): 66-88.
Excerpt:"The Richland Creek sites in Texas were also seriated successfully using machine cut and wire nails"

More details are at NAILS & HARDWARE, AGE RESEARCH https://inspectapedia.com/interiors/Nails-Hardware-Age-Research.php

On 2021-03-20 - by (mod) -

@Helen, I can't say from the photo, Helen. If the shank is round, given that it's straight, and if the head is flat and round, it's probably modern, machine made; but it's so rusted and a bit blurry that I am uncertain.

Take a look at NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY https://inspectapedia.com/interiors/Determine-age-of-old-nails.php

On 2021-03-24 - by (mod) -

On 2021-03-23 by Bob

When were machine cut nails introduced in south Texas ?
When did wire nails begin to replace machine cut nails in south Texas /

On 2021-03-20 - by (mod) -

On 2021-03-20 by Helen

Is this a modern nail ?

On 2021-03-18 - by (mod) -

@leslieyount, nice photo; that uniform width shank and the head all argue for hand-wrought before smiths made cut-nails.

On 2021-03-18 by leslieyount

On 2021-03-17 - by (mod) -

@Tony, The fact that the rust indicates laminates of iron that are parallel to the length of that railroad spike fit aging clues found at NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY https://inspectapedia.com/interiors/Determine-age-of-old-nails.php

You'll also want to see the history give at RAILROAD SPIKES https://inspectapedia.com/interiors/Railroad-Spike-History-ID.php

On 2021-03-17 by Tony

Hello, i found this bolt or spike along the Oregon coast beneath a rock while metal detecting. I have found a lot of much smaller nails and spikes as well and your website was very informative.

This object has an interesting head where it appears the iron or whatever it is (magnetic) was wrapped from the shaft around the top. Any information would be appreciated on what this may have been and where it could have been made. Thank you.

Leslie

On 2021-03-08 by K. M. - Nails in a Brmese teak chair

Hi, you have such an interesting site! These nail heads are in a teakwood chair from Tibet. Arrived in Vancouver in a container ship in 1979-1980. The chair is made of reclaimed natural teak (Burmese teak, long since restricted for export). Reclaimed teak from that part of the world (Indonesia, India, Java etc.) can be 150+ years old as it used to be everyday structures in a culture that used teak much like we do Pine or Maple.

Unlike those woods though, reclaimed teak is quite rare. The market is flooded with plantation teak. I'm interested to know if by these nail heads, you can gauge the time the chair was built. I know it left Tibet in '79 but no idea what its life was before that. Thanks!

On 2021-03-02 - by (mod) -

@Eric Kennedy, the round dimpled heads on those nails look like modern round-shanked wire-nails; you'll see the age and history of that nail type in this article series.

On 2021-03-02 by Eric Kennedy

Hi, any idea on the age of these nails with this pattern head? These nails are in an old looking wooden settle and I can’t remove them to look at the entire nail.

On 2021-02-12 by (mod)

at NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY https://inspectapedia.com/interiors/Determine-age-of-old-nails.php

you can improve your guess about the age of your nails.

On 2021-02-12 by Anonymous

Hi, can you guess? Have a bit of an idea but curious to see what others can come up with.

On 2021-02-10 - by (mod) -

Thanks Elen.

Notice those notches that cut horizontally across the round nail shank? This is definitely a modern wire nail.

NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY

gives more details; There you'll see our comment that the earliest date of ANY of the nail types depends on the country where the nail was manufactured (or in some cases imported and used).

In the U.S. the earliest round wire nails were made about 1850. See WIRE NAILS https://inspectapedia.com/interiors/Nails_Hardware_Age.php#WireNails

Beyond that too-large date range we'd be merely speculating; but as you'll read in the article NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY and others in this series, in dating the age of a nail, particularly in the case of your photo where the nail appears to still be driven into something, we must consider surrounding or contextual data such as building age, tool marks on wood, and the myriad other building age clues that are sitting there waiting to help us out.

On 2021-02-10 by Elen

Thanks Dan, I've added another image! I took the pic through a loupe as I couldn't get a good close up. All of the nails appear to have this point on them bar one or two. Any chance of narrowing down a date roughly or just 'modern'?

On 2021-02-10 - by (mod) -

Elen

The photo is a bit blurry but that looks o me like a modern round-shanked "wire" nail; if so the point on the head is probably a simple artifact from a manufacturing anomaly.

On 2021-02-10 by Elen

Hi there. I am hoping to narrow down the date of a frame on an oil painting that I just bought. I know that the nails are 'modern' machine made, but is it possible to narrow the date range a bit eg. late 19th century, early-mid 20th century etc?

The point on the round nail heads looks a little odd but perhaps that happens when they are struck with a hammer? There are lines down the shaft. Thanks!

On 2021-01-25 - by (mod) -

Sorry Marc, but to protect readers from malware the Comments Box software won't let us post an offsite link.

Readers can of course post actual photos (one per comment) using the "Add Image" button and once moderator approved the comment and photo will appear.

Meanwhile I've re-posted below:

Marc S. Libidinsky said:
Hello, can you give me an age range for this nail?
The link is to a picture on my instagram page: [deleted]

Continuing:

That looks like a modern cut nail.

On 2021-01-10 - by (mod) -

Andrew

This NAIL AGE DETERMINATION KEY may be of help

https://inspectapedia.com/interiors/Determine-age-of-old-nails.php

But there will be a number of other nice clues such as saw and tool marks and other hardware. Take a look at

AGE of a BUILDING, HOW to DETERMINE - home

at

https://inspectapedia.com/Design/Age_of_Building.php

On 2021-01-10 by Andrew

There is a dilapidated home on some property I purchased in Oxford County North Carolina USA. I know the area was farmed and a family lived there as early as the early 1800s. I'm trying to determine the age of the structure.

The main support beams under the floor have these old style nails in them. The tongue and groove flooring is attached with these nails. More modern looking round nails are also hammered into the beams.

Based on the nails, can you guess the age of the original structure? Based on the nails and tongue and groove flooring I'm guessing late 1800's? I suspect the "newer" round nails were from replacement wood siding.

On 2021-01-10 - by (mod) -

Sorry Jess,

The comment box code only allows us to post a photo and just one for comment

On 2021-01-10 by Jess

I have a treasure trove of antique nails found during the restoration of my 1700s home. They are all so unique so I’m not sure if they are hand cut, hand forged, or machine. Thanks for any help! Video attached

On 2021-01-07 3 - by (mod) -

Interesting long, thin, horseshoe-nail head type, unidentified purpose, possibly too rusted to identify, nail.

On 2021-01-07 by Bruce

Just found this in Palos Verdes CA above ground. Any thoughts?

...

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Or see NAILS & HARDWARE, AGE FAQs - more Q&A on determining the age of nails.

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Nail Age & History FAQs-2
Nails as Indicators of Building Age