Image 1 of 1
DJR Expert Guide Series, Vol. 399 — How to Authenticate & Date Antique Locks, Keys & Hardware
Antique locks, keys, hinges, padlocks, chest hardware, and architectural ironwork reflect centuries of evolving craftsmanship—from early hand-forged wrought-iron mechanisms to 19th-century mass-produced brass and steel locks. Because original hardware is highly collectible and frequently reused in restoration work, the market is filled with modern reproductions, decorative copies, and artificially aged pieces.
DJR Expert Guide Series, Vol. 399 — How to Authenticate & Date Antique Locks, Keys & Hardware provides a complete, forensic, construction-based workflow for determining true age, authenticity, and period accuracy using metal science, mechanical engineering, surface-aging behavior, and historical manufacturing logic.
Inside, you’ll learn how experts:
Identify wrought iron, cast iron, brass, bronze & early steel by appearance and grain
Distinguish hand-forged, cast, and machine-made hardware across centuries
Analyze tool marks, file strokes, chisel work, hammer patterns & rivet peening
Evaluate oxidation depth, patina stratification & authentic long-term wear
Date hardware using mechanical-design evolution: ward locks, lever locks, bolt systems
Examine key types, bit-cut logic, shaft style & ward alignment by era
Identify mismatched keys, reproduction blanks & artificially aged examples
Evaluate screws, nails & fasteners to establish period accuracy
Detect modern reproductions, decorative colonial-style copies & cast fantasy locks
Assess restoration effects: replaced screws, rebuilt mechanisms, over-polishing
Authenticate chest locks, padlocks, strap hinges, escutcheons & architectural ironwork
Determine fair-market value using rarity, form, material, maker, and mechanism complexity
Know when professional authentication is required for high-value locks or complex mechanisms
Whether analyzing a colonial chest lock, an 18th-century padlock, Victorian brass hardware, or architectural ironwork, this guide equips collectors, restorers, and appraisers with the full forensic system needed to identify genuine period hardware with confidence.
Digital Download — PDF • 10 Pages • Instant Access
Antique locks, keys, hinges, padlocks, chest hardware, and architectural ironwork reflect centuries of evolving craftsmanship—from early hand-forged wrought-iron mechanisms to 19th-century mass-produced brass and steel locks. Because original hardware is highly collectible and frequently reused in restoration work, the market is filled with modern reproductions, decorative copies, and artificially aged pieces.
DJR Expert Guide Series, Vol. 399 — How to Authenticate & Date Antique Locks, Keys & Hardware provides a complete, forensic, construction-based workflow for determining true age, authenticity, and period accuracy using metal science, mechanical engineering, surface-aging behavior, and historical manufacturing logic.
Inside, you’ll learn how experts:
Identify wrought iron, cast iron, brass, bronze & early steel by appearance and grain
Distinguish hand-forged, cast, and machine-made hardware across centuries
Analyze tool marks, file strokes, chisel work, hammer patterns & rivet peening
Evaluate oxidation depth, patina stratification & authentic long-term wear
Date hardware using mechanical-design evolution: ward locks, lever locks, bolt systems
Examine key types, bit-cut logic, shaft style & ward alignment by era
Identify mismatched keys, reproduction blanks & artificially aged examples
Evaluate screws, nails & fasteners to establish period accuracy
Detect modern reproductions, decorative colonial-style copies & cast fantasy locks
Assess restoration effects: replaced screws, rebuilt mechanisms, over-polishing
Authenticate chest locks, padlocks, strap hinges, escutcheons & architectural ironwork
Determine fair-market value using rarity, form, material, maker, and mechanism complexity
Know when professional authentication is required for high-value locks or complex mechanisms
Whether analyzing a colonial chest lock, an 18th-century padlock, Victorian brass hardware, or architectural ironwork, this guide equips collectors, restorers, and appraisers with the full forensic system needed to identify genuine period hardware with confidence.
Digital Download — PDF • 10 Pages • Instant Access