it's just a door hinge...

[AHI in AR]

But just look at the artistry in this thing. It was in a circa 1877 home I did today. I realize that is not a big deal to a lot of you guys who regularly see older homes, but there's not too much around here that has survived that long.

This was far from a mansion; in fact, it was in a modest 1400 square foot home. The utilitarian nature of the object certainly wasn't an obstacle to including a little style, was it?

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[hausdok]

The utilitarian nature of the object certainly wasn't an obstacle to including a little style, was it?

Nope.

If you like it enough, you could get your own repros through Restoration Hardware.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Bill Kibbel]

This was far from a mansion; in fact, it was in a modest 1400 square foot home. The utilitarian nature of the object certainly wasn't an obstacle to including a little style, was it?

Very nice find. Next time, impress your clients by pointing out the "cast iron, loose-pin, steeple-tip, butt hinge". That's how they're listed in 19th century catalogues.

It's actually appropriate for a modest, working class home of the period. The upper class homes usually had solid brass, bronze or nickel-plated steel, rather than cast iron. They also had more intricate details.

[Inspectorjoe]

Dairyman/writer Richard Triumpho once wrote: "A farmer can see beauty in a blade of grass, yet still be out baling hay." I think that's very applicable to home inspections.

One of the fringe benefits of what I do for a living is the chance to see cool things, even if it's 'just' the decorative pattern in a door hinge. I've always been one to stop and smell the roses, although sometimes I do it too often and for too long. I'm sure I could 'see beauty in a door hinge, yet still be inspecting a door' if I could only find a pair that wasn't obscured by multiple layers of paint.

[Jim Baird]

Here's a hinge pin. At Fort Macon NC, ca 1834

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[kurt]

Sumthin' about bronze.....just the feel of it is remarkable.

[AHI in AR]

This was far from a mansion; in fact, it was in a modest 1400 square foot home. The utilitarian nature of the object certainly wasn't an obstacle to including a little style, was it?

Very nice find. Next time, impress your clients by pointing out the "cast iron, loose-pin, steeple-tip, butt hinge". That's how they're listed in 19th century catalogues.

It's actually appropriate for a modest, working class home of the period. The upper class homes usually had solid brass, bronze or nickel-plated steel, rather than cast iron. They also had more intricate details.

Bill, that's impressive. I never would have thought that one could work butt, loose and steeple into the same sentence without having it sound contrived. I learn something here every day.

The hinges are nice also.