After restoring historic gates, I've come to dislike purely ornamental work

Fancy scrolls don't compare to a well-made hinge that lasts decades.

3 comments

3 Comments

You said a hinge lasts decades? The original ironwork on some of these gates is pushing 150 years. That's not decades, that's centuries. It's wild to me that we call something lasting 30 years well-made when the proof of real craftsmanship is still swinging on its pins downtown. The old stuff wasn't just ornamental, it was overbuilt to survive everything.

robin8362mo ago

Old gates are cool, but they were made when things were built to last no matter what. Today we make stuff that's good enough for its job without wasting resources. It's not worse work, just different needs.

the_rose2mo ago

Remember my friend restoring his grandpa's farm gate? He found the hinge pins were just hand forged iron rods, thick as your thumb. They'd worn smooth as glass but still fit perfect after 80 years of cows pushing against them. He cleaned off the rust and put them right back in. That simple chunk of metal outlasted the barn it hung on. Makes you wonder what we're really building now.