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Blacksmith made huge key formed from one solid iron bar
An interesting key which clearly shows how the key was made.
The head was formed by splitting one end of the iron bar with a chisel and stretching the bow into shape.
The rest of the bar was then hammered flat and rolled to form the shaft and flag with the excess metal being clipped off.
It's very hard to date examples like these, however 18th century seems likely.
Clean and ready for display - No rust
Approximately:
212mm (just over 8¼") in length
282g in weight
General usage wear, knocks and marks
There is a large gap in the shaft from where the rolled ends were not clipped square
The flag has several stress fractures and the shaft tip has a split from being hammered into shape
The penny is for scale
Several hundred more keys and padlocks are available in my ebay shop
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