Iron Lever Nutcrackers

Next to percussion nutcrackers, iron lever nutcrackers are one of the earliest forms of nutcrackers, first appearing around the 13th century. Initially, lever nutcrackers were hand wrought, but the introduction of molds would make the casting process simpler and more efficient. American lever nutcrackers were typically made of cast iron while English and other European versions were made of brass. Regardless of the material, the lever nutcracker would later give rise to the modern wooden nutcrackers that we are familiar with today. This particular cast iron lever nutcracker, dubbed “Rover the Nutcracker” was a popular mold for nutcrackers in the early 20th century and was made by various companies.