For more than a hundred years , furniture has been made of wrought iron . Not much article of furniture today is made of a material that ’s both long - permanent and attractive . Indeed , most modernistic furniture sacrifice enduringness for visual aspect , or vice versa . In contrast , molded branding iron furniture serves both purposes and will lend anyoutdoor terrace areaa kind of rugged elegance .

The charm is that this tough elegance is pull in over days and years — if you purchase a vintage wrought branding iron patio set , that is . So how can you tell apart if that patio set you ’re eyeing is actually vintage or just a ripoff with a high price rag ? We have some tips .

Why wrought iron furniture is sought after

First thing ’s first : What clear shaped Fe so exceptional foroutdoor backyard designs ? Although wrought Fe is rugged , it ’s also soft and malleable . On a technical level , it ’s essentially iron with less than 0.3 % carbon paper , with 1 or 2 % slag mixed into it . It ’s fantastically durable , resistant to wind and atmospheric condition hurt as the years pass by .

While wrought atomic number 26 is more of an investment than wicker or charge card , it ’s much sturdier . Plus , its plasticity mean that you ’ll get molded Fe furniture pieces crafted with beautiful designs . And , of course , we ’d be remiss not to mention how cleaning wrought iron is a breeze , as you only postulate some soapy pee to spray it down .

How to identify vintage wrought iron furniture

One reason old geezer dealers and others in the know peruse flea market , garage sales , acres sales , and more is because they know how to distinguish vintage shaped iron furniture . An old wrought iron chair designed to be anoutdoor patio fixturecan fetch more than $ 100 , even if it ’s overlooked . If it ’s marked and has the name of a well - know producer from bygone eras , it could be sell for a price that reaches into the thousands of dollars , if not more . Here ’s how to identify classic shaped iron furniture :

stride 1 : Look for mould lines

No , not the fungus type , but shaping molds . Cast smoothing iron is formed in a stamp , but shaped atomic number 26 is not .

Cast smoothing iron often can be mistake for wrought Fe , so to tell the difference between the two , look for the moulding communication channel along the side of the piece of furniture . Cast branding iron piece of furniture will have mold channel on the side , while wrought iron wo n’t . Mold lines typically look like ridge grooves on the side of meat of the back and legs and will make the table or chair take care a bit more manufactured .

Step 2 : Examine the grain

If the metal seem like it ’s been hammered or there are other signs of “ imperfection ” on its surface , it could be wrought iron .

A augury of cast branding iron is its uniformness . Aside from mold blood line , this is one of the clearest giveaways as to what kind of branding iron furniture you ’re really look at .

footstep 3 : Look for signs of rust

Believe it or not , rust spots are a undecomposed affair if you ’re face for wrought iron furniture .

molded iron is vulnerable to rusting , especially if it ’s not underwrite with varnish or paint . Thus , that crack - heavy alloy chair you ’ve got your eye on might be crop branding iron if it ’s a bit rust-brown . The good news is that it ’s easy enough to transfer rusting from shaped iron , and if you fleck an authentic patch that is rusted , you may be capable to get the seller to strike hard a few one dollar bill off the price .

footstep 4 : see for a maker ’s mark

Sometimes these Gospel According to Mark can be small or partially outwear away , so apply a magnifying glass to get a close look .

Although not every molded iron piece has a mark from the maker or designer , many pieces do . If you do find a maker ’s mark on the piece you ’re eye , it could facilitate you figure out who made it . However , the lack of a gull does not of necessity have in mind the piece you ’re looking at is not lawful shaped iron .

If you come in across vintage wrought iron article of furniture made by sure famous manufacturers , you ’re in luck . Pieces made by the company listed below are worth more than those made by individual journeyman . If there is n’t a maker ’s mark ( and again , many time there is n’t one ) , you still might be capable to describe the God Almighty by checking out formula books .

Just a few maker to count let in :

Leinfelder : This brand operated in in Wisconsin during the thirties . Its article of furniture featured paint colors that were bright and festive , such as immature , yellow , and pink .

Lee Woodward and Sons : This was a Michigan - based manufacturer . Its wrought iron furniture was also made mainly during the 1930s .

Salterini : Beginning a bit before the two list above , Salterini ’s furniture start in 1928 in New York . The company continued to manufacture wrought iron piece of furniture until 1953 .

Florentine Craft Studio : Also base in New York , this studio jump in 1910 , which is foresightful before any of the others we ’ve mentioned . It ’s mostly known for its patio article of furniture ( and molded branding iron work of art ) .

Finding and adding wrought iron furniture to your space

Knowing how to identify vintage wrought Fe furniture is the key . Take this newfound cognition of yours and apply it to enquiry while you browse on-line retailers , forte depot , auction websites , live auctions , secondhand memory board , and more . Oh , and once you get bitten by the bug , there is a whole humankind of othervintage garden implements — such as decor and gardening tools — you may need to explore , too !

Whether you ’re looking for shaped iron garden piece of furniture because you like the approximation of havingold , handmade furnitureon your patio , you require something to talk about at your next cocktail political party , or you ’re a aggregator or dealer , there ’s something exciting about finding a piece that no one else seems to recognize .