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Post by spence on Feb 10, 2021 13:30:49 GMT -7
Several years ago I acquired a couple of original fire steels which might be of interest. I don't have any provenance for them other than they came from a barrel of like steels in a warehouse associated with an antiques business in upstate New York. The one with leaves sparks very well, haven't tried the other one. Can anyone suggest a way to get an approximate age on them?   Spence |
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Post by Sicilianhunter on Feb 10, 2021 18:12:55 GMT -7
Spence,
BEAUTIFUL pieces!!!
Out of curiosity, where in Upstate NY did they come from?
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Keith
City-dweller
Bushfire close but safe now. Getting some good rain.
Posts: 990 
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Post by Keith on Feb 10, 2021 19:22:43 GMT -7
Hard to say Spence, there are so many designs that were used over a long period of time.  Amsterdam 1650-1700  Netherlands 1750-1850  Museum of London 1500-1700  As an example, this is an original steel found on a late 18th century site, but this exact same design dates back to the Vikings. I wear this steel hung on a leather tie around my neck.  This is an original 18th century English fire steel which & carry & use, as you can see it has some wear. Keith. |
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Post by spence on Feb 10, 2021 20:42:42 GMT -7
Out of curiosity, where in Upstate NY did they come from? Sorry, I don't know. They were bought by a friend for me, I wasn't on the trip. He dealt with the antiques company, bought a bunch of these and trade axes. Keith, I understand the difficulty of aging them because they have such a long history. I assume these are 19th-century until contrary evidence comes along. I use the leaf one in my fire kit, it adds a nice flavor to the game, as does any original gear. I really like the unnecessary effort put into it by the blacksmith purely for decoration on a totally utilitarian item. Spence |
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