=16. Historical.=—From the days of Tubal-Cain, “an instructor of every
artificer in brass and iron,” to the present time, no element in the
world’s composition has rendered greater service in advancing man’s
development than has the uninviting metal known as _iron_.
Recent discoveries show the very ancient existence of iron in Assyria,
and also in Egypt under the Pharaohs. It was found in considerable
quantities in Syria, in Canaanite times, and many tools and implements
of warfare were made from it. The Chalybes, located near the Black Sea,
were in Biblical times considered famous workers in “northern iron,”
while Damascus steel, for ages, has been justly celebrated.
_Copper_ was well known to the Israelites and Egyptians before the
Exodus, and for many years previous to that event the Egyptians
obtained it from Arabia. It was also a native product of Palestine, and
was very largely exported from Cyprus, whence its name.
_Tin_ was early known in the Orient, being one of the imports of Egypt
from Spain, through the Phoenician merchants, who also obtained it from
Britain. It was one of the principal commodities in the marts of Tyre,
and was used as an alloy with other metals.
_Gold_ and _silver_, the precious metals, are mentioned in the
earliest times and were highly esteemed; they were utilized in the
manufacture of articles for domestic use, for personal adornment, and
for ceremonial accessories. These metals were obtained by the Hebrews
from Arabia, Ethiopia, Egypt, and Spain. Gold was used as a medium of
exchange, like money, as early as the time of Abraham, but was then
weighed, not counted. Silver was profusely used at that time in the
East, and seems to have been very abundant in the time of Solomon. An
alloy of gold and silver, called _electrum_, was also used.
_Zinc_ was discovered in 1520 by Paracelsus, an alchemist and
astrologer of Europe, and was immediately adopted as a valuable alloy.
_Bronze_, a composition of copper and tin, seems to have been much used
in Europe before the adoption of iron for the same purposes, as Roman
remains testify; this was probably due to its greater ease in working.
_Brass_, a composition of copper and zinc, soon became popular, owing
to its being more easily worked than bronze.
_Burnished brass_ is mentioned in Ezekiel, but is considered to have
been an alloy of copper, there being a white metal, greatly used for
ornaments in the East, called _white copper_.
Locks and contrivances to secure protection and privacy were originally
made of wood, and a wooden lock (the oldest yet discovered) was
actually found in the ruins of Nineveh. This lock appears to have been
used on a gate of an apartment in one of the palaces of Khorsabad. The
ancient Egyptians constructed locks and keys from brass and iron, thus
showing their creative mechanical skill, while the ornaments discovered
in the royal tombs display the high order of their art.
The Greeks and Romans were skilled workers in the metals, and many
beautiful examples remain to attest their ability and ingenuity.
During the dark ages, following the conflict waged between the
barbarians of Northern Europe and the Romans, and resulting in the
fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, the art of working the
metals nearly disappeared. Not until the Revival of Learning in the
13th century did the art again receive the attention to which it was
entitled. As late as the reign of Edward III, of England, in the 14th
century, the iron pots and pans of the royal kitchen were listed among
the “jewels of His Majesty.” During the 15th and 16th centuries, great
progress was made among all civilized nations by skilled artificers.
Much of their work is still extant, and their “cunning of hand” and
“keenness of intellect,” as displayed in their products, serve, like
torches, to light the way to higher endeavor. From that time to the
present, great progress has been made. During the latter half of the
17th, the 18th, and the beginning of the 19th centuries, especially,
art work received a great impetus, and much of the present-day
adaptations are modeled from the schools of ornament then produced.
=17. Metals Used in Hardware Manufacture.=—The metals chiefly used
in manufacturing the products of the smiths’ art are iron and steel
and the copper alloys known as brass and bronze. Iron remains as the
chief material of construction for all the cheaper grades of hardware,
while brass and bronze are more generally used for “destructible,” or
wearing, parts and the finer and more elaborate decorative work. These
alloys also adapt themselves admirably to the great variety of finishes
that are now in vogue. Iron is also used considerably for elaborate
decorations in wrought and cast designs, and is very desirable in the
“rustless-iron” finish, technically known as “Bower-Barff,” which
derives its name from its two inventors.
White metal has been recently introduced, but will probably not be so
universally adopted as brass or bronze, owing to the great number and
variety of items used in hardware fittings, which would necessitate
stores carrying a full line of white-metal goods. At present, white
metal is used principally for hospital buildings and bathrooms.
=18. Commercial and Stock Designs.=—In recent years, manufacturers
have made rapid strides in producing beautiful and elaborate trim in
the several schools of ornament, and the most exacting critic can
now procure artistic designs. The finishes are made to harmonize or
contrast with any color treatment.
The principal hardware manufacturers can provide from stock, locks,
hinges, and escutcheons finished in any manner and designed in any of
the following schools of architectural ornament. They will also provide
hardware in special designs from sketches furnished by the architect,
including armorial or emblematic designs, if required. These several
schools of ornament are here arranged in alphabetical order.
Byzantine Gothic, French
Colonial Gothic, German
Elizabethan Gothic, Italian
Empire Greek
English Renaissance Henry II
Flemish Indian
Francis I Italian Renaissance
French Renaissance Japanese
German Renaissance L’Art Nouveau
Gothic, English
=19. Finishes.=—The basic metals upon which are applied the variety
of finishes now obtainable, are iron, steel, brass, bronze, and white
metal, of which the three latter, even in their highly polished natural
state, are the most durable. These metals will not rust or corrode
when exposed as will iron or steel, and when tarnished can be readily
cleaned and polished.
Nearly all the fancy finishes are obtained by electroplating and acid
treatment on the natural metals, the finish being then lacquered to
preserve it. Some of these finishes are very attractive and desirable,
but where exposed to constant usage, have not the durability of the
natural metals, as they cannot be polished or cleaned without the
finish being injured or destroyed.
Many architects or owners purposely select applied finishes with the
object in view that they will need little attention. When selections
are being made for exterior purposes or where there is likely to
be excessive handling, it is best to select the darker shades with
sanded surfaces. For interior purposes, the more delicate finishes are
desirable for the decorative effect; they also wear reasonably well.
The variety of colors and shades of finishes is exceedingly large, and
the choice of color, like that of texture, depends on the character of
the design and on the personal taste of the one making the selection.
The standard finishes that can be had are numerous. Many of them may
be obtained in various shades of oxidation and in from one to four
different textures of surface. The most popular finishes are as follows:
Pompeian bronze Copper
Sage-green bronze Nickel
Royal copper bronze Silver
Ormolu metal Gold
Boston finish Bower-Barff
Enameled White enamel
Japanned Gun-metal brown
White metal Verde antique
Brass Statuary bronze
Bronze Olive bronze