Wire drawplate
A drawplate, in the wireworking sense, draws metal wire through holes in a plate to change its dimensions or profile. It is relevant to jewellery making and other metalworking. It should be distinguished from a flooring pull bar, which may share the Norwegian name trekkjern.
Drawplates come with different hole profiles. Ravstedhus documents a round version and a square version with a series of holes. Quoted hole counts and size ranges belong to individual tools, not every drawplate. Vikingtidsmuseet's account of mail making also describes a drawplate used for iron wire. Its function is therefore not restricted to precious metals.
When cataloguing an older example, document plate shape, hole count, profiles, numbering and any maker's marks. Examine whether holes are worn, damaged or altered. Markings may indicate size and should not automatically be read as a date or precious-metal hallmark. Provenance from a goldsmith's workshop is useful, but the tool alone cannot identify which jewel it helped make. Rust and wear are not a secure dating method either. Describe the tool as it survives and distinguish observations from assumptions.
