Antique Ornate Nashua Hemacite Doorknob

Although the dainty design is very pretty, what makes this doorknob a collector piece is its material!  Hemacite is a material made from sawdust and the blood of slaughtered cattle and pigs. Before you go – ick! – keep in mind that this is biodegradable and safer for our environment than modern day materials.  And, no, it doesn’t bleed.  It was invented (and patented) by Dr W H Dibble of New Jersey in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Hydraulic pressure (40,000 psi) and chemical compounds, blood and sawdust were transformed by Dibble's Hemacite Manufacturing Company into everything from doorknobs and roller skate wheels to cash register buttons and telephone receivers; there was even extensive use in Victorian jewelry.

As noted by the 1879 catalog page (the writing on the knob has long since vanished) from Nashua Lock Company, this knob was made by Dibble and distributed by Nashua.  While the perimeter and back have gotten slightly rough over the years (a little paste wax would smooth it out) the central design is still very crisp and clear – right down to the stippled background inside the beaded band!

Whether put on display or installed on your old door, it’s a real conversation piece!

Note:  This knob has a steel shaft and takes a standard square spindle.
 
Diameter 2-1/4”