Found this at the beach today-Is it a Railroad Nail or a Ship Nail?

[angifogg]

Found this at the beach today-Is it a Railroad Nail or a Ship Nail?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions

[steelheadwill]

I think it's a very corroded RR spike, flat point, ferrous metal.
ship spikes are usually copper,
Good day & HH, Herbie.

[Tony in SC]

I would guess from a pier or other structure. The head doesen't look like a railroad spike. Tony

[haybudden2]

Defiantly not railroad spike,
RR spikes have no taper to them.

I agree with pier or ship related.

Hay2

[kuger]

Looks like the Rose head hand forged ship spikes we find in 1850's camps

[Shortstack]

Defiantly not railroad spike,
RR spikes have no taper to them.

I agree with pier or ship related.

Hay2

I agree with that. This spike is waaaaay too light for a railroad spike and it's way too big for a railroad date nail. Could be just a timber nail. Any old houses destroyed by weather in this beach area? Timber nails would be iron and not brass.

[steelheadwill]

Still say Railroad Spike.

Right length.
Flat Point.
Head appears to have lip facing rear.
Ferrous composition.
The objects corrosion has thinned the body and head,
There is no Marine related hardware with flat point, or composed of ferrous metal, that I have ever seen.(Hot dip galvanized through bolts used on some piers are an exception)
I have been involved in marine construction, and have never seen a Ferrous nail or spike.
maybe a photo of the head from different perspective would solve this.
Good Day & HH. Herbie.

[steelheadwill]

Looks like the Rose head hand forged ship spikes we find in 1850's camps

Are these Items Ferrous?

[kuger]

Looks like the Rose head hand forged ship spikes we find in 1850's camps

Are these Items Ferrous?

Yes,some are,mixed with non ferrous.In the late 1840's there was such a great demand for ships to sail to Calif.they threw anything together with what they readily had,even if they only made one trip.I am not saying they were(the nails)were made for that purpose,but we find them in the camps(salvaged from the ships and brought to the camps for reuse in there structures)I have an Archi report from the Hoff Store excavation in San Fran that also lists them as such

[steelheadwill]

Thanks Kuger,
Interesting and informative,
Would be an awesome find if one of these hand forged spikes.
Given the circumstances at the time, Ferrous metal is an understandable,
but certainly rare material for marine construction.
Again, photo of spike head would be most helpful for ID.
Good day, Herbie.

[Tnmountains]

I find rail road bridge spikes from around 1887. They were used for putting together timbers not laying rail. They do not look like what you have.

[kuger]

Thanks Kuger,
Interesting and informative,
Would be an awesome find if one of these hand forged spikes.
Given the circumstances at the time, Ferrous metal is an understandable,
but certainly rare material for marine construction.
Again, photo of spike head would be most helpful for ID.
Good day, Herbie.

Thanks Herbie,I just moved and all of my " stuff",is packed away....as soon as I can get to that box I will gladly post pics!!

[artyfacts]

Railroad tie spike (large). Track spike (short). Iron, copper, and Muntz metal where all used in ship building. Iron, copper, Muntz (183?) and what ever was on hand after that. Looks like a ship or timber spike. Was this found by a bridge? Arty

[Tnmountains]

I find rail road bridge spikes from around 1887. They were used for putting together timbers not laying rail. They do not look like what you have.

I kept thinking about that spike. I think I was wrong. Here is a timber spike from this bridge built during the civil war at Whiteside. Largest Union engineering feat during the war.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnatio...es/4152918453/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/photohound/1394035520/
It looks kinda like yours.

[IronSpike]

At the beach find I agree with the ship or pier spike

Railroad tie spike (large). Track spike (short). Iron, copper, and Muntz metal where all used in ship building. Iron before copper, copper before Muntz (183?) and what ever was on hand after that. Looks like a ship or timber spike. Was this found by a bridge? Arty

Artyfacts the large spike is a RR or a cripping spike? Length of spike?

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.p...,220289.0.html

[artyfacts]

Thanks IronSpike for the heads up on cripping spikes, did not know they where called this. My spike is 24 inches or two foot long with the tip missing (ouch). Carpenters use a variety of nails, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 16 penny. When building railroads there's always going to be a bridge. Railroad ties where 8 x 8's, three equal 24 inches. I do believe this is the case with mine it was found only feet away from a creek crossing. When the second world war started they ripped up all available iron to throw back into the war. The majority of spikes where also part of this effort since most are missing. I think mine was lost in the building of this crossing in 1887.

Artyfacts the large spike is a RR or a cripping spike?

[IronSpike]

Thanks IronSpike for the heads up on cripping spikes, did not know they where called this. My spike is 24 inches or two foot long with the tip missing (ouch). Carpenters use a variety of nails, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 16 penny. When building railroads there's always going to be a bridge. Railroad ties where 8 x 8's, three equal 24 inches. I do believe this is the case with mine it was found only feet away from a creek crossing. When the second world war started they ripped up all available iron to throw back into the war. The majority of spikes where also part of this effort since most are missing. I think mine was lost in the building of this crossing in 1887.

Artyfacts the large spike is a RR or a cripping spike?

Thanks artyfacts

[steelheadwill]

thanks for posting that nice Iron
Great pieces!

[scaupus]

For anyone who picks up this thread interested in boat nails...wrought iron boat nails were resistant to corrosion, and this property of wrought iron was well known. Tudor wrought iron works 500 years old, exposed to the weather, are still in good condition. 1900 year old wrought iron Roman nails were plentiful (tons!) in the the excavations of hill-top forts in England. In the 20th century we are acccustomed to mild steel nails and these corrode in a very lively way. 50 year old mild steel elements on bridges are highly corroded, while 150 year old wrought iron is in good shape.

Point being...wrought iron boat nails were common and can survive a long time even in saltwater. Rose headed square boat nails are still being produced by one or two specialty manufacturers, in mild steel or even bronze or brass by special order. I would imagine the new steel nails are galvanized? I wouldn't use ungalvanized steel nails to build a boat.

[IronSpike]

I once found a boat nail on an old RR track