Leather collars on nails

Leather collars on nails

Figure 918. Leather collars on nails

Photo: Torn leather collar and the nail that it was on.

Inset Photo at top/right: Closeup of nail head showing badly worn leather collar behind it.

These were found at the site of the J. Eli Gregg pack house, on the southeast corner of the mule lot. Such leather collars were also found on the nails holding the hinges in place on the old dairy doors.

Apparently, Gregg's 1836 construction of barn doors used these leather pads to cushion nails and make them less apt to work loose. The compression of the leather during clenching would also keep the head from splitting off and prevent moisture from invading the gaps between nail and hinge. Photos 1984.