Tiebacks > Historic Examples > 808 Fort Mifflin
(ca 1774-1782)

Our copy of a rather poorly done English rattail excavated at the revolutionary Fort Mifflin on the Delaware River near Philadelphia .

This example doesn’t balance well, it much prefers to rest in the horizontal rather than proper vertical position. I was having a really hard time recreating the piece until I realized the awkward form was the result of typical novice mistakes. So I turned my dial back to “baby blacksmith” and was hammering out the pieces when it dawned on me how special this one was.

Some rebel soldier, stationed at that cold mud flats battery, had spent a lot of time at the fire forging this hardware. Maybe to teach himself a trade in his idle hours, maybe to keep back the damp river chill; but certainly to contribute what he could to strengthen the fort and the cause. At least that’s what I believe, because that’s what the iron told me.

Five dollars a pair sold will be donated to the Fort Mifflin Association (a non-profit group).