letter plates, locks, hinges, hooks, cabinet fittings and window furniture. There has even been renewed use of “blacksmith nails” – four-sided hand-made rosehead nails. This is typical of a trend that has seen greater appreciation of designs that have stood the test of time, that has allowed hand-forged ironmongery to find a much wider application than use in property restoration – although the practice of incorporating traditional ironmongery into contemporary housing has been helped by thoroughly modern techniques like galvanising and powder coating to inhibit rust. See also Blacksmith References External links Sales occupations Retailers by type of merchandise sold Industrial history Ironmongers