"IOHN" Branding Iron

Date1750-1820

MediumIron/steel

DimensionsOverall length: 17" Head: 3 9/16" x 7/8" x 1"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number2012-142

DescriptionBranding iron reading "IOHN." Tapered 16" shank, of square section for the first 2" and chamfered for the balance. Shank terminates in an open loop.
Label TextDuring the colonial period, "brands" were commonly used to apply ownership marks. While some of these tools were used with paint or ink, others were heated in a fire so that their mark could be burnt directly into the surface of the piece. This branding iron, resembling a block of printer's type, was used to burn the word "IOHN" into a wooden surface, such as the head of a barrel or a side of a chest.