After 2 years I decided to clean this, thinking it was part of a metal container

Prairie Gazingfox · Sep 23, 2025

Finally got a wire brush ( couldn't locate a plastic one where I was ) and scrubbed this off with water
the really stiff layer of soil it had all over it.
All along I was suspecting it was part of a handle or a lid of some metal pot....
It Turned out A shoe arch support of Stainless Steel.
Anybody know what years it may have been from?
I read they started these as early as 1904, maybe 1909, but we're of softer alloys back then.

Gene Mean · Sep 23, 2025

Need pics

robertk · Sep 23, 2025

Patent date is in November 1905, so I would assume it's after that.

Prairie Gazingfox · Sep 23, 2025

robertk said:
Patent date is in November 1905, so I would assume it's after that.

Well, forgot to add, this one is magnetic but doesn't pull too hard.
I found it with a smaller one which is totally non-magnetic.
But was lazy and didn't clean the other one yet.

Red-Coat · Sep 23, 2025

robertk said:
Patent date is in November 1905, so I would assume it's after that.

Prairie Gazingfox said:
Well, forgot to add, this one is magnetic but doesn't pull too hard.
I found it with a smaller one which is totally non-magnetic.
But was lazy and didn't clean the other one yet.

Actually the patent #794256 was granted on 11 July 1905. It was a Utility Patent, and those issued in 1905 were valid for 17 years (Design Patents were valid for 14 years). The patent only refers to the device being ‘metal’, but describes its springiness as an essential feature, so I would presume it was made in steel. Stainless steel may or may not be magnetic; 'Austenitic' steel isn't and became commercially available during the 1920s.

Prairie Gazingfox · Sep 23, 2025

Red-Coat said:
Actually the patent #794256 was granted on 11 July 1905. It was a Utility Patent, and those issued in 1905 were valid for 17 years (Design Patents were valid for 14 years). The patent only refers to the device being ‘metal’, but describes its springiness as an essential feature, so I would presume it was made in steel. Stainless steel may or may not be magnetic; 'Austenitic' steel isn't and became commercially available during the 1920s.

View attachment 2226316

Very detailed! Thank you.
I am gonna clean the other one and see if it has Same appearance because i noticed more greenish oxidation on the other.
But it felt also as hard as this one.
Now I really applied force on the Stainless one with both hands. It does very slightly bend. And quickly returns back to shape.

vpnavy · Sep 24, 2025

Prairie Gazingfox said:
...Turned out A shoe arch support of Stainless Steel. Anybody know what years it may have been from?
I read they started these as early as 1904, maybe 1909, but we're of softer alloys back then.

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robertk · Sep 24, 2025

Red-Coat said:
Actually the patent #794256 was granted on 11 July 1905.

So it was. I could have sworn the search I did yesterday showed November but I don't see that now. July it is. At least I got the year right.

oldmxrat · Sep 24, 2025

Interesting find.

E-Trac-Ohio · Sep 24, 2025

Cool find !

Prairie Gazingfox · Sep 24, 2025

oldmxrat said:
Interesting find.

It was, with the smaller one almost on the surface, next to what appeared to be an Outside fire place so I thought those were part of a metal pot or something....

Gare · Sep 24, 2025

PD you did good . Very unique find

Gare · Sep 24, 2025

I have two or three buckets i store things in . Every year i go through them and update items. Usually after 3 years of saving I throw away unidentified items but NOT ALWAYS depends on the item. I once had an item I thought was a scrap piece of silver like trash. I was ready to throw it away and decided to use a wire brush on it. Out popped a 1721 coin from the Netherlands on it. I do not remember where or when i got it.