What Is an Ironmonger?
The term “ironmonger” is used both in the traditional sense to refer to someone who works with metals, especially iron, and in a more modern sense to refer to a retailer who stocks hardware. Because most iron products are manufactured on an industrial level today, it is rare to find a traditional ironmonger who forges and sells such goods, and the term is more commonly used in reference to the proprietor of a hardware store. The suffix “monger” is derived from a Latin word meaning “dealer or trader,” and it can be seen in similar word constructions, such as “fishmonger” for someone who sells fish. Many of the words which include this suffix sound archaic, and their usage is in decline. In fact, the suffix has acquired pejorative overtones, as in “fear monger” for someone who deals in and trades on fear. Humans have been working with iron for thousands of years. This metal has a variety of uses, including weapons, construction hardware, and cooking utensils. Historically, iron goods wer
