The earliest rivets were small pegs made of wood or bone; the first instances of deformed metal likely represent the ancestors of the rivets we know today. Undoubtedly, they constitute the oldest method of metal joining known to humanity, dating back as far as the initial use of malleable metals. For instance, during the Bronze Age, Egyptians used rivets to fasten together the six wooden segments that formed the rims of spoked wheels; similarly, after successfully casting large bronze statues, the Greeks utilized rivets to join the various components together.
In 1916, when H.V. White of the British Aircraft Company first patented the "blind rivet"-a fastener capable of being installed from only one side-few could have anticipated just how widely this type of rivet would eventually be applied. From aerospace engineering to office machinery, electronic products, and sports equipment, the blind rivet has arguably become an effective and robust method of mechanical fastening. Although the exact date of the invention of the hollow rivet-originally developed for use in harnessry-remains unclear, the horse harness itself was invented sometime between the 9th and 10th centuries AD. Much like the nailed horseshoe, the riveted horse harness helped liberate laborers from arduous physical toil; furthermore, rivets spurred numerous other significant inventions, such as the iron tongs used by metalworkers and the shears used for shearing sheep.
