The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-06-22
steel NAlL curLERY.
The Merits of the New Naii-Kniyes Ham
mered out Of Them.


mered Out Of Them.
The editor Of The Agscf !tetIhas written
to the Junction Iron Works, Of this cityin
regard to cutlery manufactured OF steel
nails. The letter tates' hatagreatmuny1
practical mechanics have expressed sur
prise at the ductility Of tho nails. The
nails sent by the Junction Iron company
show the presence OF the best material.
They were cold hammered, and show no
signs 81 splitting or Eliminating. The ex.
periments will certainly create surprise
and open the eyes Of many people to the
merits OF the steel nail.
With the letter was enclosed tho follow
ing article from The dye Of Steel:
aAs very few steel nails were made in
the United States prior to 1883, that year
NAV be said to have witnessed the begin
ming OF this innovation, which made such
rapid progress in 1884 and is destined to
assume large proportions in the coming
wear. The production OF steel. nails in
1855 consisted OF 1924 kegs, Of which
2,243 kegs were made Of combined iron and
steel. The production was distributed as
follows: New York, l4,7Gs kegs; Maine,
|2,l43 kegs OF combined iron and steel
illinois, 700 kegs Of steel and 100 kegs of
combined iron and steel; Massachuset g,
5l3 kegs. 0fthe total production OF nails
in the United States last year S93, 4S2 kegs.
or 5 percent were steel nails, OF which 500
kegs were OF combined iron and steel.
Their production was distributed as fol-
lows: West Virginia, 20i, 1886 kegs; Ohio
1S0636 kegs; Pennsylvania, 29,324 kegs,
Of which none were made in the eastern
district; New York, 1850 kegs; Massa-
chusetts, II ,450 kegs; Illinois, $3.50 kegs.
These figures indicate the rapid growth Of
an industry which had no existence two
years ago. But it ia not with the statisti-
cal features OF the steel nail that we have
to deal ct this time. 1t has already been
shown to the satisfaction Of all fair-minded
men that the steel nail has many points
OF advantage over the iron nail. And
these excellencies have been so marked
and striking that many OF the mills now
making iron nails are preparing TO enter
upon the manufacture Of steel nails ex.
clusively in the near future. In
addition to the mills now prepar.
ing to turn out the steel nails
several are engaged in the erection OF
plants which will be completed within
The next three months. A Bessemer plant
Is being erected at Mingo Junction, Ohio,
which will be operated by the junction
Iron Company and the Laughlin Nail
Company. The equipment will embrace
two fye-ton convettels, three eight-foot
cupolas, and thirty.four.inch reversible
blooming mill with hydraulic tables and
lifting apparatus. The two companies,
whose Offices are at Wheeling, w. Va,
though their works are in Ohio, are extern
sive manufacturers OF nails, and they ex-
pect their Joint product Of steel nails to be
$500 kegs daily when their arrangements
are completed. The erection OF the new
steel plant will involve an expenditure OF
100000.
Any one who has recently had occasion
to use steel nails must have been struck
with the excellence OF the metal which is
being used in their manufacture. The
ease with which they are worked into
almost every conceivable shape with a
hammer and anvil Is constant tempta-
ton to do some hammering. The Age Of
Steel has been making. some experiments
In the cutlery line and We present in this
connection an illustration showing few
OF the results obtained. The nails used in
these tests were taken from kegs in stock
in st. Louis hardware stores. The outline
cuts shown by us are fair specimens OF
large number OF steel nails which were
out in this office. We show in
1Aa cod. steel nail made by the Junction
Iron Company, OF Mingo Junction, o.; "a
is an exact outline OF q God. OF the same
make after being hammered cold on a
small anvil. This steel nail kniie-and
the same is true Of all those shown-was
produced without the aid OF any other
tool than q small hammer. II will be
noticed that the knife Is almost two
inches longer than the nail from which 1t |
was made. None Of the nails were heat
ed, all Of them being, as We have said be-
fore, cold hammered. All OF them have
good cutting edges, and would be q dan
gerous weapon In the hands Of a "high |
binder" Chinaman. B. shows knife
made from a God. steel nail manufactured
by the Jefferson Iron Works, Steubenvtlle,
o.; O ia a cod. from the same mill. D and
G are GOD. and Sd. respectively, OF juno
ton manufacture. E is a 16d. "Red Headn
frnm the Belmont Nail Company, Wheel
ing, W. Va. + and d are from the La
Belle works.
It has been suggested by hardware
dealer with q literary turn OF mind that a
new Robinson Crusoe" might be written
wherein the hero, with an anvil, hammer
and a few pounds Of steel nails would be
able TO supply himself with knife, fork,
spoon, and all manner Of weapons OF de-
Tense and oGense.