Do they need to match the grate?

Not at all. Most households upgraded their hearths piecemeal over the centuries. You often find seventeenth-century iron dogs sitting next to nineteenth-century fenders. Matching sets were standard in formal Victorian reception rooms. If you have an eclectic room, mixing periods and metals works well.

I found a heavy iron pair in the cellar of the house we just bought and one of the back bars is bent downwards in the middle so they don't sit level, can this be fixed?

Billet bars warp under the constant heat and weight of burning timber. It happens to most heavily used antique fire dogs eventually. A competent blacksmith can heat the bar and forge it straight again. Sometimes the bent bar is left as part of the working history. If it compromises stability, fixing it makes sense. Check the joint where the bar meets the upright, as that takes the strain when the metal moves.

Spit dogs are a specific working type of antique fire dog. They feature a series of hooks running up the front standard. These hooks held a horizontal iron spit. The cook could move the meat closer or further from the heat by shifting the spit.

My grandmother always polished her brass fireplace things every week but I read online that you shouldn't polish old brass anymore because it ruins the patina, what is the right way to care for them?

Heavy polishing gradually wears away the casting details. Victorian servants rubbed the crisp edges off many fine brass fronts. Most dealers prefer a dull, tarnished finish today. If you want a shiny hearth, use a soft cloth and minimal polish. Dusting with a dry brush keeps soot off the metal without abrasive rubbing.

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Antique Fire Dogs in South West

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Antique fire dogs are paired metal hearth stands with upright fronts and horizontal legs, built to elevate burning logs off the hearth floor to improve the draught and contain the fire.