A nail is a fastening device that is an essential attribute of repair and construction.

The first “nails” appeared with primitive people. They bore little resemblance to their modern counterparts, but they served their purpose.

The initial form of fasteners at that time included various plant thorns, fish ribs, and small bones of animals and birds. Over time, they were replaced by wooden nails.

They also looked a little like modern nails, resembling small stakes made from chips of hardwood. Such nails were used for a long time, mainly in shipbuilding and shoemaking. To extend their service life, wooden nails were coated with resin. In the production of high-end shoes, wooden nails are still used today, as they are considered to hold parts more effectively and wear out alongside the sole.

Metal nails, very similar to modern ones, appeared about 5,000 years ago, when people learned to work with metal, specifically in the Bronze Age.

They were made in two ways: either cast or forged. These devices had a four-sided shape, as it was convenient and straightforward to make.

The most difficult nails to make were those for horseshoes. Firstly, they had to be small, and secondly, they had to bend without reaching the animal’s tissues. Not every blacksmith could make such nails and shoe a horse with them.

Nails were valuable and could even serve as currency. In the time of Ivan the Terrible, a handful of nails could buy a live chicken or a basket of fresh fish.

Blacksmiths who specialized in making nails were always well-off. These craftsmen were called “nailers.”

In the event of an attack, people tried not to leave nails for the enemy. For example, in the first century BCE, an ancient castle, which stood on the territory of modern Scotland, was abandoned during a siege. Before leaving their stronghold, the residents buried all their valuables to a depth of more than three meters. During excavations, the treasure was discovered: there were seven tons of nails, untouched by time.

Nails were forged and cast for a long time, up until the 20th century, when a machine was invented for their mass production.