# Common household items made of iron? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 26, 2012, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-household-items-made-of-iron/616802 "2012-03-26T01:25:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-household-items-made-of-iron/616802/21 "2012-03-26T05:26:15Z")
Wrought iron is not the same thing as cast iron, BTW. Cast iron is an alloy of iron and a very high percentage of carbon, from two to six percent. This is higher than tool steel and makes the product very brittle, but easy to cast and machine. If it were liquid and you blasted oxygen into it, you would drive off some of that carbon and have found a way to make steel suitable for other applications and your name would be Bessamer. Wrought iron is formed by working nearly pure iron, repeatedly folding and welding it so that it is layered with silicates (and can be welded without flux). It isn’t made anymore, having been replaced by mild (AKA low carbon) steel, and is rather coveted by blacksmiths. FWIW, Rob ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-household-items-made-of-iron/616802/22 "2012-03-26T05:39:20Z")
Note galvanized iron – iron with a zinc protective covering electroplated. “Tin” cans were mostly iron with a water/organic acid resistant tin coating. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-household-items-made-of-iron/616802/23 "2012-03-26T07:36:30Z")
[Pigs.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=646245) ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-household-items-made-of-iron/616802/24 "2012-03-26T07:42:45Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’m guessing that the OP is thinking of fey, who according to legend can’t abide iron. So iron the element would still exist in the world, and iron alloys and non-iron things made using iron tools would still be allowed. That’s my WAG as well, but many urban fantasy writers count that as meaning “cold iron” but not “steel”, and their definitions have very little to do with metallurgy; many seem to think that if it’s black it’s “cold iron” and if it’s shiny it’s “steel”. Iron salts and complexes (such as hemogoblin) aren’t a problem; steel is or isn’t depending on the writer’s mood, the phase of the moon and the amount of chocolate in the vicinity of the smithy. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-household-items-made-of-iron/616802/25 "2012-03-26T07:47:18Z")
Trivets Door stops Drain covers (besides manhole covers, that is - sometimes the small covers for roof drain soakaways are cast iron) [Barbecue grills](cast iron bbq) Chimeneas ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-household-items-made-of-iron/616802/26 "2012-03-26T08:28:32Z")
Iron wih very high carbon content is pig iron. I don’t know of any use of pig iron except as a raw material for the other types of iron. Depending on how much carbon you suck out of it, you get: 1. Cast iron has a carbon content in-between steel and pig iron. It is harder than steel but less tough. 2. Wrought iron has lower carbon content than steel. It is less hard than steel but I don’t know if it’s tougher. 3. Steel is the Goldilocks’ option of iron types: Not too much carbon, not too little, just right. It doesn’t deform easily yet also doesn’t fracture easily. Hence, nearly nothing today is manufactured in wrought iron or cast iron even if it’s called such for marketing reasons. The most you’ll get in most cases is either low carbon or high carbon steel, depending on whether you want to optimize for hardness or toughness. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-household-items-made-of-iron/616802/27 "2012-03-26T10:30:47Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’m guessing that the OP is thinking of fey, who according to legend can’t abide iron. So iron the element would still exist in the world, and iron alloys and non-iron things made using iron tools would still be allowed. And you are correct 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-household-items-made-of-iron/616802/28 "2012-03-26T15:39:53Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I remember my parents had an actual iron made of iron. You know, for ironing clothes. It was a small relic from c. 1860. Shaped the same as today’s electric irons, apparently you had to place this one in some sort of heat source to make it hot enough to run over your clothes. You would typically have a set of 2-3 of these. The handle was wooden, and clipped on. When the iron you were using became too cool to be effective, you swapped it for the one you had heating on the stove . (wood or coal stove, also made of iron) That way you could keep ironing without having to wait for the iron to re-heat. Most of these I have seen have been re-purposed as door stops, which is another iron household item. Still lots of cast iron radiators in use. My grandmother used a treadle powered sewing machine on into the 1970’s. It was mostly cast iron, both the machine proper, and the stand/treadle mechanism. All manner or railings were iron, along with hinges, door handles and knobs…lots of iron pulls on drawers and cabinets. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-household-items-made-of-iron/616802/29 "2012-03-26T15:45:34Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I remember my parents had an actual iron made of iron. You know, for ironing clothes. It was a small relic from c. 1860. Shaped the same as today’s electric irons, apparently you had to place this one in some sort of heat source to make it hot enough to run over your clothes. > [@Kevbo](#): > > You would typically have a set of 2-3 of these. The handle was wooden, and clipped on. When the iron you were using became too cool to be effective, you swapped it for the one you had heating on the stove . (wood or coal stove, also made of iron) That way you could keep ironing without having to wait for the iron to re-heat. > > Most of these I have seen have been re-purposed as door stops, which is another iron household item. My parents had just the one. I believe they picked it up in an antiques shop or aflea market. No wooden handle, but that may have come off over the years. I seem to recall it had a little iron stand, the inside of where you would put hot coals to heat the iron up with. And I recall it had a five-pointed star on it, which my father said stood for the Union. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-household-items-made-of-iron/616802/30 "2012-03-26T16:17:18Z")
The OP understands that the distinction between ‘iron’ and ‘steel’ is pretty arbitrary, right? Wrought iron has less carbon than steel which has less carbon than cast iron, and the dividing point between what’s called ‘steel’ and what’s called ‘iron’ is based mostly on how iron was smelted in olden times, not on any clear distinct chemical difference. (and then there are alloys like stainless steel, which is still mostly iron atoms…) If you want a house that’s free of any kind of iron/steel, it’s going to be really tough. All the nails, screws, brackets, joist-hangers, and any other structural metal element are iron/steel. Some old post-and-beam houses might have wooden pegs holding the beams together, but good luck making anything recognizable as a modern wall without iron/steel (I suppose you could get some kind of custom-made exotic alloy nails for an outrageous price). And while electric wires themselves are copper, the outlet boxes, switches, etc are going to have steel/iron cases or moving parts. Hard to imagine any kind of electric powered appliance/lamp doesn’t have some iron/steel in the case (or the actual plug that goes into the socket). Just finding a raincoat without zippers, snaps, or metal eyelets is going to be an issue. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-household-items-made-of-iron/616802/31 "2012-03-26T16:22:24Z")
red blood cells. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-household-items-made-of-iron/616802/32 "2012-03-26T16:30:09Z")
One surprising (well, to me, so it could surprise a Faerie, if you’d like it for the story) huge piece of iron in my home is…the bathtub. It’s in a fairly modern building, by neighborhood standards. It looks just like an acrylic tub, like the kinds I grew up with. It’s got a layer of enamel over it, so it doesn’t look like iron, but you can see the iron where the water’s been dripping for 50 years and wearing away the enamel, just under the tap. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-household-items-made-of-iron/616802/33 "2012-03-26T17:35:50Z")
I was surprised to learn that rebar (when not being used in construction it can be used by the casual user in landscaping) is NOT iron. [Cereal.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/676/do-iron-fortified-cereals-really-contain-iron-filings) ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-household-items-made-of-iron/616802/34 "2012-03-26T18:21:55Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I was surprised to learn that rebar (when not being used in construction it can be used by the casual user in landscaping) is NOT iron. > > [Cereal.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/676/do-iron-fortified-cereals-really-contain-iron-filings) It’s NOT?! :dubious: (Well, maybe not _ **cast** _ iron.) ---
**Author:** ![sco3tt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@sco3tt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sco3tt)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-household-items-made-of-iron/616802/35 "2012-03-27T02:28:35Z")
Are the sound plates in modern pianos still made of iron? ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-household-items-made-of-iron/616802/36 "2012-03-27T04:00:52Z")
Patio furniture ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-household-items-made-of-iron/616802/37 "2012-03-27T17:24:13Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > That’s my WAG as well, but many urban fantasy writers count that as meaning “cold iron” but not “steel”, and their definitions have very little to do with metallurgy; many seem to think that if it’s black it’s “cold iron” and if it’s shiny it’s “steel”. Additionally, my understanding has always been that the original myth didn’t have anything to do with the _current temperature_ of the iron, but with how it was _forged_. “Cold- **forged** iron,” is how I’ve always thought of it. Cold forging is a specific technique: see [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_working) and [here](http://www.thomasnet.com/articles/custom-manufacturing-fabricating/hot-forging-cold-forging) for descriptions. Although those descriptions talk about modern mechanical processes sometimes involving molds and so on, I always assumed the myth referred to hand-forging by a blacksmith, essentially beating the iron over and over to give it certain advantages of hardness (such as for edged weapons). So please don’t have your fictional characters storing iron in the freezer to deal with Fey folk. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-household-items-made-of-iron/616802/38 "2012-03-27T22:27:46Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Additionally, my understanding has always been that the original myth didn’t have anything to do with the _current temperature_ of the iron, but with how it was _forged_. “Cold- **forged** iron,” is how I’ve always thought of it. Cold iron in legends [does](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_in_folklore#Cold_iron) refer to the temperature when you touch it, not forging technique. ---
**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-household-items-made-of-iron/616802/39 "2012-03-28T01:13:13Z")
For the purposes of the OP the distinction between iron and steel is pretty much arbitrary. When it comes to metallurgy and manufacture, there are a range of different processes to engineer a wide variety of different properties that are dependent upon the carbon content as well as other factors. Cast iron with a high carbon content for example does not transmit vibration well and is useful for machine bases. Armco iron has an extremely low carbon content and is highly malleable and will absorb a large amount of energy before fracture. Various heat treatments alter the crystal structure enormously and these in turn are also dependent on other alloying metals at well as the carbon content. There is good reason for labelling ferrous alloys according to their carbon content, but this is not the whole story. The terms, wrought iron, steel and cast iron are entrenched in history and refer more to the manufacturing process than to the actual composition. With a wider range of processes available today and an enormous increase in the range of properties, these terms are indistinct and the lines are blurred. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-household-items-made-of-iron/616802/40 "2012-04-04T01:59:42Z")
Are those bars people put on windows to keep burglars out iron? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-household-items-made-of-iron/616802.md?page=1)