What Is Ironmongery?
Ironmongery is a traditional and somewhat antiquated term for iron goods that were made for use in households, rather than industry. It has since come to mean more, and now includes not only iron, but other metals and plastic. In Great Britain, the word “ironmongery” still has this meaning, although in the United States, the term “ironmongery” has been replaced by “hardware.” Additionally, the term “ironmonger” has evolved in some places as a slang term for a weapons dealer. The production and sale of ironwork has a very long tradition, going back at least a few thousand years. In the Middle Ages, ironworkers and similar artisans were able to benefit from the advances in ironwork that had taken place over the centuries, and produced highly prized work. These items included weaponry, but also tools and other domestic implements. The term “ironmonger” usually was used simply to indicate one who sold iron products, but in some areas it indicated a manufacturer who used the domestic system
