Everything
The whole catalog
27 pieces for a house with a fireplace in it. Each one carries a service life mark, and behind the mark the full making record — what it is made of, what it measures and weighs, how it is finished, where it was made, how to look after it, and what it is not for.
Sort by service life to put the longest-lived thing first, or by price when the budget is the constraint. Filter by group to shop one part of the room, or by material if you already know you want cast iron rather than steel.
16 of the 27 have their wear part on the shelf, so what goes first can be replaced instead of the whole piece. A published figure is an estimate of household service life and not a warranty — how the mark works.
All prices are shown and charged in US Dollars (USD).
27 pieces
Cast Fire Back
Freestanding, 20 × 16 inches, plain field
Wears first — Nothing. A fire back is one casting and its whole job is to be the thing that takes the heat.
Cast Trivet
Seasoned cast iron, three-footed
Wears first — Nothing. This is a single casting with no parts.
Riven Slate Board
Welsh slate, 16 × 12 inches, felted base
Wears first — The felt on the underside, which compresses and can be re-felted.
Hearth Kettle
2 litre, enamelled interior, hanging bail
Wears first — Nothing that fails. The exterior enamel can chip if it is dropped on stone.
Hearth Pot
5.5 quart enamelled cast iron, lidded
Wears first — Nothing that fails. The lid knob is the only fastened part.
Brass Match Safe
Unlacquered brass, sized for long matches
Wears first — The striker strip on the base, which is a consumable and is replaceable.
Candle Holders, Pair
Blackened steel, weighted base, taper fit
Wears first — Nothing that fails. The cup collects wax, which lifts out cold.
Log Rack
Blackened steel, 36 inches, welded
Wears first — The felt foot pads. The frame itself has no wear point indoors.
Hearth Fender
Blackened steel, 42 inches, three-sided
Wears first — The felt pads under the feet, which flatten and can be replaced.
The Long Poker
32-inch blackened steel, pinned ash handle
Wears first — Nothing that fails. The tip loses its finish first and keeps working indefinitely.
Log Tongs
Scissor action, 26 inches, forged jaws
Wears first — The pivot, which loosens slightly over decades and can be peened tight again.
Kindling Box
Blackened steel, open top, hearth-height
Wears first — Nothing that fails. The base gets scuffed where it is dragged.
Flint & Steel Striker
Forged carbon steel striker, flint, and a tin
Wears first — The flint, which is consumed. The steel effectively is not.
Ash Shovel
Deep pan, rolled edge, pinned ash handle
Wears first — The leading lip of the pan, which thins where it scrapes stone.
Brass Storm Lantern
Unlacquered brass, flat wick, replaceable glass
Wears first — The wick, then the glass chimney. Both are consumables and both are stocked.
The Hearth Tool Set
Poker, shovel, broom and tongs on a standing rack
Wears first — The horsehair on the broom head, at the leading edge where it meets the hearth.
Undyed Camp Blanket
Heavyweight single-flock wool, whipped edge
Wears first — The whipped edge at the corners, where it is gripped and dragged.
Full Sheepskin
Vegetable-tanned, undyed, single skin
Wears first — The wool at the spine line, which flattens under repeated weight.
Heavyweight Wool Throw
Twill weave, charcoal, fringed
Wears first — The fringe, which thins and tangles at the ends.
Log Carrier
18 oz waxed canvas, bridle leather handles
Wears first — The stitching where the leather handle meets the canvas — not the canvas and not the leather.
Wool Felt Hearth Mat
12 mm pressed felt, undyed, bound edge
Wears first — The bound edge nearest the fire, which scorches and frays first.
Kindling Tote
Waxed canvas bucket, leather-bound rim
Wears first — The base corners, which abrade on stone.
Wool Floor Cushion
Felt shell, wool fill, leather carry strap
Wears first — The fill, which compacts. Expect it to lose about a third of its loft by year ten.
The First Winter
Poker, carrier, kindling tote, match safe and blanket
Wears first — The stitching at the log carrier handles, at roughly year fifteen.
Ash & Leather Bellows
Bridle-hide gusset, brass nozzle, re-hideable
Wears first — The leather gusset, at the fold nearest the hinge, where it flexes most.
Hearth Broom
Horsehair head, replaceable, steel ferrule
Wears first — The horsehair, at the leading edge. Expect visible wear at year six to eight of daily winter use.
The Hearth
Tool set, fender, log carrier and trivet
Wears first — The broom head in the tool set — the shortest-lived part of the shortest-lived piece, at roughly year eight.