The Price of Nails Since 1695(nber.org)
nber.org
The Price of Nails Since 1695
https://www.nber.org/papers/w29617
74 comments
> Why nails? They are a basic manufactured product whose form and quality have changed relatively little over the last three centuries
While 'somewhat' true, its also untrue.
Modern nails are different from the nails in the 60's.
Modern nails are rounded. Many of the 1960s nails are square with sharp edges, a completely different manufacturing technique. I imagine that these were either forged in shape or cut from square stock and mashed to a sharper point.
The 1960's nails also have a square head and were made of a weaker iron, but because of their square edges they 'cut' their way into the wood and didn't need to be as strong as rounded 'modern' nails.
Modern rounded nails are cut from a wire and a point is 'cut' into the edge and a head is crushed from the top of the wire.
Anyways.. things change, and i imagine they changed before the 1960's square nails too, I just don't know about them.
While 'somewhat' true, its also untrue.
Modern nails are different from the nails in the 60's.
Modern nails are rounded. Many of the 1960s nails are square with sharp edges, a completely different manufacturing technique. I imagine that these were either forged in shape or cut from square stock and mashed to a sharper point.
The 1960's nails also have a square head and were made of a weaker iron, but because of their square edges they 'cut' their way into the wood and didn't need to be as strong as rounded 'modern' nails.
Modern rounded nails are cut from a wire and a point is 'cut' into the edge and a head is crushed from the top of the wire.
Anyways.. things change, and i imagine they changed before the 1960's square nails too, I just don't know about them.
> Modern nails are different from the nails in the 60's.
The variation of types is noted in the paper; for example:
> How best to account for identifiable differences in holding power, shipping costs, and any other relevant characteristics of different types of nails? One modern approach is to construct a so-called hedonic price index that would use statistical techniques to explicitly account for all relevant characteristics of nails and for how the marketplace valued those characteristics. Data limitations make that impossible in this case. Thus, I use another common technique, a matched- model procedure. This methodology links the cents-per-nail prices in Figure 3 across the switchover points from one type of nail to another; this linking will accurately adjust for quality change to the extent that the rice/performance ratio for nails was equalized by the market in periods when multiple types of nails were available. This approach is a sensible and widely used methodology to construct a consistent price index that adjusts for changes in quality over time so that like can be compared to like given available data. Specifically, I start with the prices for the most recent period (the black segment for wire nails), and then link backwards. In each of the crossover years (1890, 1814, and 1784), I use the price from the more recent type of nail and link and extend backwards from that year using percent changes in prices for the earlier type of nails in the earlier years.
Different types of nails is also brought up in an interview with the author on the Odd Lots podcast (Feb 7):
* https://player.fm/series/series-1504378/this-is-what-happene...
The variation of types is noted in the paper; for example:
> How best to account for identifiable differences in holding power, shipping costs, and any other relevant characteristics of different types of nails? One modern approach is to construct a so-called hedonic price index that would use statistical techniques to explicitly account for all relevant characteristics of nails and for how the marketplace valued those characteristics. Data limitations make that impossible in this case. Thus, I use another common technique, a matched- model procedure. This methodology links the cents-per-nail prices in Figure 3 across the switchover points from one type of nail to another; this linking will accurately adjust for quality change to the extent that the rice/performance ratio for nails was equalized by the market in periods when multiple types of nails were available. This approach is a sensible and widely used methodology to construct a consistent price index that adjusts for changes in quality over time so that like can be compared to like given available data. Specifically, I start with the prices for the most recent period (the black segment for wire nails), and then link backwards. In each of the crossover years (1890, 1814, and 1784), I use the price from the more recent type of nail and link and extend backwards from that year using percent changes in prices for the earlier type of nails in the earlier years.
Different types of nails is also brought up in an interview with the author on the Odd Lots podcast (Feb 7):
* https://player.fm/series/series-1504378/this-is-what-happene...
"Cut nails", the traditional wedge shaped ones, cut the fibers as the nail goes in. Modern wire nails, with their sharp points, shove the fibers to the sides, increasing the risk of splitting.
Additionally, the fibers cut by the traditional nails form a natural wedge, making those nails far harder to pull out.
You can improve the performance of a wire nail by simply blunting the tip with a hammer.
For more info, here's are two videos about it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rwcGXIORro
and - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MBUE_C8XHE
Additionally, the fibers cut by the traditional nails form a natural wedge, making those nails far harder to pull out.
You can improve the performance of a wire nail by simply blunting the tip with a hammer.
For more info, here's are two videos about it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rwcGXIORro
and - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MBUE_C8XHE
I'd guess modern twist nails have a similar effect on the wood to cut nails, with the hard angles of the twist cutting fibres?
EDIT: Aha, no, apparently not, because the alignment of the tapered sides on the cut nail is what makes the wedging effect work (from the first video link posted by parent).
EDIT: Aha, no, apparently not, because the alignment of the tapered sides on the cut nail is what makes the wedging effect work (from the first video link posted by parent).
According to Wikipedia’s history of nails, wire (round) nails came out in about 1860. I’ve lived in 4 houses built before 1930
That were all full of them. Cut nails continued to be used for masonry through the present.
They might have, i saw non wire nails being used in housing built in 1960.
What about galvanized nails? Surely those did not exist even 150 years ago?
This company has been manufacturing galvanized nails since 1819 (203 years), and their current factory building has been making galvanized nails continuously since 1848 (174 years).
http://web.archive.org/web/20210612014407/https://www.tremon...
http://web.archive.org/web/20210612014407/https://www.tremon...
Galvanization is a process that happens after initial manufacturing of the nail. To get to that stage, it must already have been made by one of those two techniques.
Well, I do know that cut/square nails are vastly superior to the glorified sharpened steel wire we use today. Square nails don't cause wood to split like rounded wire nails do. It's a great example of older superior technology being replaced due to cost.
The flipside being, when is the last time you heard of a house falling apart because the modern nails weren't good enough?
Sometimes good enough and 10x cheaper is the right call.
Sometimes good enough and 10x cheaper is the right call.
If you are making the home out of old growth lumber and stone, using materials meant to last is vital to the longevity of the home as well.
If you're using engineered or dimensional lumber from 15 year pine, getting 75 years out of the home without major structural upgrades is going to be a rarity so you might as well use wire nails. Most of those nails would outlast the home anyway.
If you're using engineered or dimensional lumber from 15 year pine, getting 75 years out of the home without major structural upgrades is going to be a rarity so you might as well use wire nails. Most of those nails would outlast the home anyway.
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Without looking it up, I'd assume nails in 1960s were made of steel. Not much iron going around since the end of the 19th / early 20th century anymore.
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To my knowledge, there's one company making cut nails for woodworking[0] in the US. The pricing might be somewhat distorted by the fact that they're a specialty item rather than the commodity that wire nails are.
Blacksmith forged nails are still available (if you know a blacksmith, not at your local hardware store). They're likewise a specialty item.
Incidentally, the surname Naylor was once an occupational surname for a person who made nails.
[0] AIUI, masonry nails are more likely to be cut nails, but they're hardened, so they aren't really interchangeable for woodworking.
Blacksmith forged nails are still available (if you know a blacksmith, not at your local hardware store). They're likewise a specialty item.
Incidentally, the surname Naylor was once an occupational surname for a person who made nails.
[0] AIUI, masonry nails are more likely to be cut nails, but they're hardened, so they aren't really interchangeable for woodworking.
> nail sizes in the US are still typically given in pence
Reminds me of the Primus song. "Seen 'em down in SoCo pounding sixteen-penny nails."
Reminds me of the Primus song. "Seen 'em down in SoCo pounding sixteen-penny nails."
If I'm reading this correctly:
- After a long period of getting cheaper in real terms, nails have started to get more expensive (you get less nail for your money in 2022 than you did in 1992).
- The main driver of this cost increase is more expensive labor and services, essentially human time is becoming more expensive to purchase.
- This rise is cost is unlikely to be felt by the average consumer because we have both on an individual level and as a nation have gotten wealthier so that increased cost is coming out of a larger pool of money.
Is that a fair summary of the current state of things?
- After a long period of getting cheaper in real terms, nails have started to get more expensive (you get less nail for your money in 2022 than you did in 1992).
- The main driver of this cost increase is more expensive labor and services, essentially human time is becoming more expensive to purchase.
- This rise is cost is unlikely to be felt by the average consumer because we have both on an individual level and as a nation have gotten wealthier so that increased cost is coming out of a larger pool of money.
Is that a fair summary of the current state of things?
> - The main driver of this cost increase is more expensive labor and services, essentially human time is becoming more expensive to purchase.
This is interesting, because I’d assume that the labor part of the total cost to produce a nail has fallen to practically zero nowadays. I would assume that capital (machines and factory buildings) and raw material (steel) would comprise practically the entire cost of producing a nail nowadays.
This is interesting, because I’d assume that the labor part of the total cost to produce a nail has fallen to practically zero nowadays. I would assume that capital (machines and factory buildings) and raw material (steel) would comprise practically the entire cost of producing a nail nowadays.
I found this to be an enlightening and fun article. The one negative I would flag is that it is US-centric and - while nails did not change much during that period - the US was created as a collection of states while being settled by colonizers. That was a very disruptive geographic phase.
It would probably be more useful to have run a similar study against Europe during this period. While the formation of nation states and the industrial revolution would be substantial socio-economic activities, the relative change was less.
It would probably be more useful to have run a similar study against Europe during this period. While the formation of nation states and the industrial revolution would be substantial socio-economic activities, the relative change was less.
I'm no historian, but your view appears almost ignorant of European history.
There were a number of very disruptive wars in Europe during the last three centuries, not to mention emergence and disappearance of whole nations, whether defined by language or state borders or armies. The numerous famines and genocides had a very real socio-economic impact.
Socialist and communist governments in the last hundred years with their market planning ideology in something like half of Europe would also throw a wrench in natural price formation. This is not the only socio-economic challenge: the diversity of languages, currencies and forms of government would not help make sweeping studies like this accurate.
The colonizers of the US were largely immigrants from Europe, who were fleeing war, oppression, famine or other calamity. There has never been any comparable immigration from the US to Europe (or indeed to anywhere). To me this indicates very strongly which region has been stable or not.
In comparison, the very disruptive geographic phase that you refer to seems very stable growth to me. I'm a bit puzzled how the relative change has been less in Europe, in my view it's quite the opposite!
There were a number of very disruptive wars in Europe during the last three centuries, not to mention emergence and disappearance of whole nations, whether defined by language or state borders or armies. The numerous famines and genocides had a very real socio-economic impact.
Socialist and communist governments in the last hundred years with their market planning ideology in something like half of Europe would also throw a wrench in natural price formation. This is not the only socio-economic challenge: the diversity of languages, currencies and forms of government would not help make sweeping studies like this accurate.
The colonizers of the US were largely immigrants from Europe, who were fleeing war, oppression, famine or other calamity. There has never been any comparable immigration from the US to Europe (or indeed to anywhere). To me this indicates very strongly which region has been stable or not.
In comparison, the very disruptive geographic phase that you refer to seems very stable growth to me. I'm a bit puzzled how the relative change has been less in Europe, in my view it's quite the opposite!
I think you ignore quite a lot of US history when you call period from 1695 up stable. US was expanding - that implies a lot of war and conflict, both internally and externally. There were also multiple notable population migrations within US. Either to new territories, or disposal of people from them, or what they call "the great migration" of african americans in the twenty century.
I hope I'm not ignoring, but it is possible. I don't know how to capture the instability in either region by some sort of a metric to make them comparable. However, the examples you give seem almost insignificant in comparison to events at the same time in Europe.
For example, in 1900s Soviet Union alone forcefully displaced more than 20 million people. In the 1700s and 1800s Europe saw several wars, which claimed millions of casualties each and were largely fought in areas where people in peaceful times would be producing and consuming nails. I think the US westward expansion and conflicts (with the exception of the Civil War) happened largely in the new areas and possibly had relatively little effect on the more established regions in the East.
I could go on with more examples, but that would not increase my understanding. How could I better understand the instability in the US?
As a hopefully illuminating example on the other side, some of the European instability is implicitly captured by the Wikipedia list of conflicts[1], keeping in mind that casualties are hundreds of thousands or even over a million deaths in many cases even though not listed. Are there similar (or more in-depth) resources that would indicate my ignorance and help me learn more about how the US expansion, conflicts and migration caused instability?
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conflicts_in_Europe#18...
For example, in 1900s Soviet Union alone forcefully displaced more than 20 million people. In the 1700s and 1800s Europe saw several wars, which claimed millions of casualties each and were largely fought in areas where people in peaceful times would be producing and consuming nails. I think the US westward expansion and conflicts (with the exception of the Civil War) happened largely in the new areas and possibly had relatively little effect on the more established regions in the East.
I could go on with more examples, but that would not increase my understanding. How could I better understand the instability in the US?
As a hopefully illuminating example on the other side, some of the European instability is implicitly captured by the Wikipedia list of conflicts[1], keeping in mind that casualties are hundreds of thousands or even over a million deaths in many cases even though not listed. Are there similar (or more in-depth) resources that would indicate my ignorance and help me learn more about how the US expansion, conflicts and migration caused instability?
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conflicts_in_Europe#18...
I reacted to this "The colonizers of the US were largely immigrants from Europe, who were fleeing war, oppression, famine or other calamity. There has never been any comparable immigration from the US to Europe (or indeed to anywhere). To me this indicates very strongly which region has been stable or not."
In terms of wars and moving away, US had a lot of action going on. US history is actually interesting.
* 1695 - 1865 is period of slavery and thus massive forced movement of huge amounts of people. Especially by the last decades, there was a lot of movement of slaves within united states. By a lot, I mean really huge amounts due to business moving.
* The whole native-american population was displaced or killed from majority of the continent in that span. Those areas did not magically appeared out of nowhere empty.
* The war between north and south was actually major conflict. The leadup to it was bloody. The aftermath of it completely transformed economy and culture in the South.
* South consequently went through short but real period of democratization and then closing up the politics to groups.
* Approximately six million Black people moved from the American South to Northern by the beginning of 20 century.
------------
And before you say they did not produced nails, neither did peasants in Soviet Union all that much. That region was hugely rural, hugely behind the times in terms of industry or literacy.
In terms of wars and moving away, US had a lot of action going on. US history is actually interesting.
* 1695 - 1865 is period of slavery and thus massive forced movement of huge amounts of people. Especially by the last decades, there was a lot of movement of slaves within united states. By a lot, I mean really huge amounts due to business moving.
* The whole native-american population was displaced or killed from majority of the continent in that span. Those areas did not magically appeared out of nowhere empty.
* The war between north and south was actually major conflict. The leadup to it was bloody. The aftermath of it completely transformed economy and culture in the South.
* South consequently went through short but real period of democratization and then closing up the politics to groups.
* Approximately six million Black people moved from the American South to Northern by the beginning of 20 century.
------------
And before you say they did not produced nails, neither did peasants in Soviet Union all that much. That region was hugely rural, hugely behind the times in terms of industry or literacy.
The topic of slavery in the US is something that is not very familiar to me. One characteristic difference seems to be that the structure in Europe was largely that of serfdom. In that respect the massive forced movement that you mention is something that I definitely did not consider. The economic impact of slavery, and in the context of stability, especially that of abolition, is interesting. I should read up on that.
I completely agree that the Civil War was a major conflict with a lot casualties and it redefined the society. But around the same time, there were four equally bloody and society defining wars in Europe (one of them resulting in the genocide of more than a million Circassian people, two others to the birth of the German nation state), and many more before and after those.
As a matter of fact, Europe continues to suffer from a lot of instability, it seems like another war may break out between Russia and Ukraine any day now. I'd much prefer people made and used nails instead of raised conflicts.
I completely agree that the Civil War was a major conflict with a lot casualties and it redefined the society. But around the same time, there were four equally bloody and society defining wars in Europe (one of them resulting in the genocide of more than a million Circassian people, two others to the birth of the German nation state), and many more before and after those.
As a matter of fact, Europe continues to suffer from a lot of instability, it seems like another war may break out between Russia and Ukraine any day now. I'd much prefer people made and used nails instead of raised conflicts.
> But around the same time, there were four equally bloody and society defining wars in Europe
American history is not just civil war. Texas was annexed 1845 from Mexico and Mexican-American War was 1846-1848. Pretty close to civil war.
> (one of them resulting in the genocide of more than a million Circassian people, two others to the birth of the German nation state), and many more before and after those.
Indian removal (trail of tears) was around the time of civil war. The expanse was not nearly finished in the run up to it. In fact, expanse was what made it blew in a way, because of the "will the new states be slave states or free states" question. Lincoln himself signed laws that gave away a lot of tribal land. The genocidal acts happened after civil war.
Also, when civil war ended, African Americans did engaged in politics and had real successes. In some states they were huge amount of population, over half sometimes. Which led to terrorist campaigns against those active in politics ultimately in loss of civil rights. That is not stability either. This was huge and long inner conflict.
American history is different. But there was a lot going on since 1695. Is was a lot more then just civil war. Just like Russian history is a lot more then Communism, despite pretty much everyone ignoring run up to it.
American history is not just civil war. Texas was annexed 1845 from Mexico and Mexican-American War was 1846-1848. Pretty close to civil war.
> (one of them resulting in the genocide of more than a million Circassian people, two others to the birth of the German nation state), and many more before and after those.
Indian removal (trail of tears) was around the time of civil war. The expanse was not nearly finished in the run up to it. In fact, expanse was what made it blew in a way, because of the "will the new states be slave states or free states" question. Lincoln himself signed laws that gave away a lot of tribal land. The genocidal acts happened after civil war.
Also, when civil war ended, African Americans did engaged in politics and had real successes. In some states they were huge amount of population, over half sometimes. Which led to terrorist campaigns against those active in politics ultimately in loss of civil rights. That is not stability either. This was huge and long inner conflict.
American history is different. But there was a lot going on since 1695. Is was a lot more then just civil war. Just like Russian history is a lot more then Communism, despite pretty much everyone ignoring run up to it.
Considering that the US basically became the leading edge of manufacturing technology at that time, it makes sense.
Reminds me of Nobel Prize winning research on the cost of lighting that is covered by a BBC podcast here, https://www.bbc.com/news/business-38650976, and the original paper here, https://lucept.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/william-nordhaus-...
I hadn't realized how valuable and useful nails were until I toured Monticello, and there was a nailery out back. I.e. you couldn't just go buy a bag of nails, you had to make them yourself.
> you had to make them yourself
Well... not quite...
> Up to fourteen young male slaves, aged ten to twenty-one, worked at the forges of the nailery. From 1794 to 1796, while he was in temporary retirement at Monticello, Jefferson calculated the efficiency of the nailers, each day weighing their nail rod and the nails they produced.
(Source: https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/nai...)
Though it would seem the idea was to then sell the nails for extra income (TJ was always strapped for cash), so it's kind of an ugly stop on the way to "what if you could just go buy a bag of nails?"
Well... not quite...
> Up to fourteen young male slaves, aged ten to twenty-one, worked at the forges of the nailery. From 1794 to 1796, while he was in temporary retirement at Monticello, Jefferson calculated the efficiency of the nailers, each day weighing their nail rod and the nails they produced.
(Source: https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/nai...)
Though it would seem the idea was to then sell the nails for extra income (TJ was always strapped for cash), so it's kind of an ugly stop on the way to "what if you could just go buy a bag of nails?"
Yes, the thing about a plantation was that because the slaves were already purchased and their labor could be used for agriculture only part of the time, if you needed something, having a slave make it made a lot of economic sense. A lot of the large plantations had nearly everything made by hand, by a slave or group of slaves.
And this impeded trade, manufacture and automation.
And this impeded trade, manufacture and automation.
Jefferson did in fact make a number of those workers as well.
I won't sound offending, um anecdotic ^^ but, i remember Smith's ('men of iron') talking that: 'It hadn't been more than 5 hammerhits to cut a screw nut (of a fist-size)', so do you feel like 'batman' taling about 'sharped wire' done by servants? More objective...
But you got me with this topic by 'someone on the internet saying', Natural price formation is the only socio-economic challenge? (-;
regards
But you got me with this topic by 'someone on the internet saying', Natural price formation is the only socio-economic challenge? (-;
regards
Once upon a time nails were valuable enough to be passed on to offspring in the estate of a deceased person.
It was also pretty common to recycle them when taking something apart, not to remelt them but simply to re-use them after straightening.
It was also pretty common to recycle them when taking something apart, not to remelt them but simply to re-use them after straightening.
> It was also pretty common to recycle them when taking something apart, not to remelt them but simply to re-use them after straightening.
When I was kid, my grandfather (born early 1920s in the southern US, so grew up in the Great Depression) had a coffee can in his shop where he'd put pulled nails, that I would get to hammer back straight. Good hammering practice!
When I was kid, my grandfather (born early 1920s in the southern US, so grew up in the Great Depression) had a coffee can in his shop where he'd put pulled nails, that I would get to hammer back straight. Good hammering practice!
My dad would collect bent nails for straightening. He grew up in the Depression.
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My high school teacher said that there were American colonists who burned their houses to reuse the nails. It sounded farfetched to my teenaged mind but apparently that probably actually happened [1].
[1]: https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/40503/were-iron...
[1]: https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/40503/were-iron...
Reminds me of a shop I once worked at, they would pile up the used wooden pallets out back - no deposit or return policy I guess? - and once a month or so a guy would come around with a trailer to pick them up. He'd take them apart, burn the wood, and sell the nails for scrap.
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ACOUP has a great collection on ironworking and the generally insane amount of labor and fuel that went into premodern iron production, including nails:
https://acoup.blog/2020/10/02/collections-iron-how-did-they-...
Demonstration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPdviIiNAM8
https://acoup.blog/2020/10/02/collections-iron-how-did-they-...
Demonstration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPdviIiNAM8
Direct link (without email wall):
https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w29617/w296...
https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w29617/w296...
The Odd Lots podcast had a great interview with the paper's author, here:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-07/this-is-w...
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-07/this-is-w...
The NPR show "The Indicator" also had an interview:
https://www.npr.org/2022/01/12/1072557499/what-nails-can-tel...
https://www.npr.org/2022/01/12/1072557499/what-nails-can-tel...
Audio (available on various podcast platforms):
* https://player.fm/series/series-1504378/this-is-what-happene...
They've done a done quite a few on the supply chain: two on lumber, shipping containers, shipping pallets, separate ones on TSMC and ASML (and RISC-V), ports, marine transport/shipping, rail, trucking.
* https://player.fm/series/series-1504378/this-is-what-happene...
They've done a done quite a few on the supply chain: two on lumber, shipping containers, shipping pallets, separate ones on TSMC and ASML (and RISC-V), ports, marine transport/shipping, rail, trucking.
Thank you! Great link
People who found this interesting may also be interested in historian David Hackett Fisher's book "The Great Wave". He examines the possible correlation of consumables prices to societal upheavals from the mid 1200s on.
I'm guessing the price of bread in 18c France plays a role?
Reminds me of the price of nails in Tahiti in the 1770s.
https://theconversation.com/cook-commemorations-are-mute-on-...
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There was a recent thread about this but I think we can consider it just below the dupe threshold:
The Price of Nails Since 1695: A Window into Economic Change - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29838157 - Jan 2022 (26 comments)
The Price of Nails Since 1695: A Window into Economic Change - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29838157 - Jan 2022 (26 comments)
The fact that nail and nail are the same word confused me for a lot of time while staring at this
its quite fascinating what you can do with really simple tools.
some nails, a hammer, a saw, a piece of string, a bubble level, and measurement tools.
highly optimized tool set.
some nails, a hammer, a saw, a piece of string, a bubble level, and measurement tools.
highly optimized tool set.
Lovely that you added the piece of string in there, that's about the most multi-functional tool there is. Plumbbob (using a large nail as weight!), level line, marker, fixture (and many others) all at once.
And far too valuable to discard frivilously - I heard a medieval historian bewailing the cinematic convention of cutting a prisoner's bonds when setting them free, basically "do they not know how many hours of work it took to make a good rope? Nobody poorer than Alexander the Great would go slashing knots!"
If a medieval artisan would see us discarding so much incredible stuff without a second's thought they would for sure believe us to be utterly mad. Quite possibly they'd be right.
was it Lindybeige? He has a bit on that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZfpQzV2GnM
I thought of the same. Just wouldn't go as far telling Lindy a historian.
Interesting.
I read a book by a Czech resistance guy who managed to escape the death penalty in a Nazi court by feigning enough stupidity and "only" got sentenced to 10 years in prison in Glatz (nowadays Klodzko in Poland).
According to him, they spent their prison days working on manually recycling old ropes for the German war effort. In 1944-1945.
I read a book by a Czech resistance guy who managed to escape the death penalty in a Nazi court by feigning enough stupidity and "only" got sentenced to 10 years in prison in Glatz (nowadays Klodzko in Poland).
According to him, they spent their prison days working on manually recycling old ropes for the German war effort. In 1944-1945.
i agree, i couldve just made the statement about string alone.
was one of those big intellectual shocks. a whole world opened up when i got into building and learned about the many uses of string. much the same as when i learned to code.
was one of those big intellectual shocks. a whole world opened up when i got into building and learned about the many uses of string. much the same as when i learned to code.
With the difference that in code, unlike building, there should only be one use for a string.
"Figure 2" is on page 38 of the PDF.
This is probably more true for nails than many other things. It also has problems when looking at the details with (older style) cut nails working better than wire nails in some applications but being more expensive. The article discusses these but I would have liked it if the article had tracked the price of cut nails to the present too.
Another amusing nail thing is that, despite the fluctuating price, nail sizes in the US are still typically given in pence (ie corresponding to the cost of the nails at some time in history) where eg a 4d nail is about 50% larger than a 2d nail in length and diameter.