ironmonger

An ironmonger is a dealer in iron and, more broadly, hardware goods. Traditionally, ironmongers sold iron and steel items such as nails, rivets, chains, hardware fittings, tools, locks, and other metalware, and often operated from a dedicated shop or market stall. The word is formed from iron and monger, with monger meaning a dealer or trader.

Historically, ironmongers served as essential suppliers to blacksmiths, joiners, carpenters, and builders, offering both raw materials and finished hardware. In medieval and early modern towns, a well-stocked ironmonger could supply everyday items for households and workshops.

With industrialization and the rise of general hardware retailers, the term's usage declined in some regions but persisted in Britain and Ireland as a conventional job title and shop name; many ironmongers evolved into, or merged with, hardware stores. In modern usage, an ironmonger is typically a hardware store or a specialized supplier of metal fittings, plumbing hardware, fasteners, tools, and related items.

See also hardware store; metalworking; nails and fasteners.