Antique Bed Hardware

Antique beds require specific bed parts to make them function correctly.

Rope Bed Hardware
Rope beds were used from Colonial times to the mid 1800's. Beds were roped on short wooden pegs which line the head, foot, and side rails. A feather tick, the forerunner of the mattress, was laid on the roping.  Rope beds were secured with bed bolts inserted thru the bed post and into the bed rail. Decorative brass bed bolt covers were used to conceal the bed bolts. Today these beds are adapted to use modern spring and mattresses with spring supports. Supports bolt to the inside of the bed rails to hold the spring and mattress.

Early Manufactured Bed Hardware
Manufactured beds developed as the industrial revolution began and furniture manufacturing moved to the factory. Cast iron bed rail fasteners were first developed with this improving technology. Later beds used bed rail hook fasteners to secure bed rails to head and foot boards making assembly and disassembly of beds easy.

Wood ball finials often toped headboards and footboards.

Brass-Iron Antique Bed Hardware
Brass and Iron Beds evolved during the Victorian era. Decorative beds often had a brass ball toping each post. These brass bed balls are available today, however other brass bed pieces are not as easy to replace.