Giving Thanks For Modern Fasteners
Imagine a world without the fasteners we know and love. Long before the first metal bolt was even a glimmer in a human’s eye, primitive man relied on Mother Nature to provide the elements for binding things together.
Bone and wooden pins were used to join clothing, secure bundles of material, and even fasten early tools. Archeologists found bone pins dating back more than 20,000 years. Plant fibers and sinew were the early “string” used to lash spears and structures. These rope fibers go further back to 50,000 years.
Finally, stone “rivets” and wedges held together primitive woodworking and toolmaking.
It wasn’t until humans began to work with metal that fasteners evolved into the shapes we use today. Bronze pins and brooches were widely used to fasten clothing - like ancient safety pins.
Around 3400 BC Egyptians hand forged bronze nails to build furniture and ships. Ship planks were held together with bronze or iron nails or rivets, clothing secured with pins and leather armor plates were riveted securely.
Challenges of early fasteners
Problems with these early fasteners aren’t tough to imagine. No assembly lines existed for manufacturing these original rivets and fasteners - they were all hand forged and had zero coatings, plating, or heat sealing. Iron rusted quickly, bronze bent easily when stressed and both broke down in harsh environments. Ships and structures failed simply because fasteners corroded away.
Add to this inconsistencies in their production - no two nails or rivets were ever identical. They varied wildly in length, could bend on installation and they were soft, brittle and prone to shearing. Not to mention the labor intensive production of hand forging single fasters that took days to make hundreds.
No heat treatment meant fasteners were soft, brittle and not able to support repeated loads. A single storm could rip apart a ship hull if nails failed - which they often did.
Modern miracles
Fast forward to today. Modern fasteners bear no resemblance to their ancient ancestors. They can hold their own against extreme heat and cold, pressure, vibration and corrosion. Engineered to exact tolerances, standardized specifications allow them to work interchangeably worldwide. In addition, they’re mass produced with near zero variance and come in alloys designed for aerospace, solar, automotive, marine, military - and beyond.
If fasteners never evolved beyond bone pins and iron nails, we wouldn’t have the modern infrastructures we have today.
So this holiday season, while you’re giving thanks for family and all your blessings, keep these small components in mind.
Here are a few highlighted fasteners that deserve a special thanks for going above and beyond the call of duty - with links for more info:
Fasteners that withstand extreme temperatures so your equipment doesn’t fail when it matters most.
Corrosion-resistant hardware that keeps outdoor installations working year-round.
Locknuts, washers, and vibration-resistant fasteners that protect high-demand machinery.
Custom and hard-to-find parts that help you stay on schedule when standard stock won’t cut it.
The reliable supply chain and fast delivery that help minimize downtime.
For questions about the best fastener for your project, contact or call one of our Melfast experts.
