Specimen of steel produced by the Basic or Thomas-Gilchrist process, 1887, 1" diameter rod tied in a knot

This object is part of a collection of similar specimens, comprising samples of steel made using the Gilchrist-Thomas process, and acquired from Percy C. Gilchrist directly.

Gilchrist’s process is a case study in the perils of early first adoption of a new technology. The process allowed for the first time use of low quality ores containing high proportions of phosphorus. It was speedily adopted in countries (France, and Germany, for example) with relatively low quality phosphoric iron ore reserves. Britain, however, had already invested heavily in steel capacity using the earlier Bessemer process, and thus lost its competitive edge and share of the global steel market. The object thus represents a major turning point in the global history of steel making.