Found in the Kilmarnock, Ayrshire area.
This is a baby fire brick.
The following information is supplied by Vladimir Smirnov – This is a Soviet brick ШД means schamotten i.e. firebrick. It was manufactured since 50th (1950) at many brickyards, but letter Б beneath points to Borovichi brickworks in Novgorod Region 300km from St.Petersburg. Letters Ш and Д at Russian firebricks means Shamot (Fireclay) and Dinas type (not less than 93% silicon dioxide (silica).
On the baby brick below there are additional numbers that look like 1711. The final ‘1’ is not certain as it has possible damage which makes it look like a ‘4’.
This brick measures approximately 145 x 73 x 38 mm.
Below – A similar stamp on a full-sized brick found by Ian Suddaby in the Girvan, Ayrshire area. There is an additional mark which is a Russian ‘4’.
Below – Vladimir has supplied bricks with a similar stamp. These were found in St Petersburg. He states – We don’t really collect these bricks as the brickmark doesn’t carry any historical background and was more or less standard for many Soviet brick factories. Here are some examples that I managed to find in our archives. ША 5, ШБ-5, ШБ-Д
Many thanks to Vladimir Smirnov for highlighting this brick to me which was found in the vicinity of the St. Petersburg Region, Gatchina Region, Russia by a brick collector, Alexander Korolev. It was discovered the stove of a private house. Stein, Castlecary Fireclay Works, Castlecary, Stirlingshire. Stein, Manuel Firebrick and Refractory Works, Whitecross, Stirlingshire. Stein &…
Found by Flipp Metlin in a basement floor in Saint Petersburg, on Vasilievskiy Island, Russia. Glenboig Union Fireclay Company, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Alternative brickworks include: Glenboig Star Fireclay Works, Glenboig, Lanarkshire. Glenboig Fireclay Works, (Old Works) Glenboig, Lanarkshire It is likely there is a dash and a downward arrow stamped on the right of the brick…
Thank you to Alexander Kosenkov for the following information. Alexander is an architect and restorer of wooden architectural monuments. Alexander states – “We are restoring the Zakharov house in Petrozavodsk, Karelia, Russia. The house was built in 1915. Two Dutch ovens have been preserved in it to this day. The stoves used a refractory brick…
Many thanks to Vladimir Smirnov for the following information. This Sankey BM Scotch brick was found as part of a furnace structure in St Petersburg, Russia. It was found alongside a mystery brick stamped ‘Shire‘. J H Sankey & Son, Essex Wharf, Canning Town, London. This may be a Scottish product. A collaboration between Castlecary…
This brick was found in St Petersburg, Russia by Vladimir Smirnov. The manufacturer is unknown. The ‘look’ and fabric of the brick does suggest Scottish origins but … In particular, the brick has a ‘look’ of a P & M Hurll, Glenboig product. Ian Suddaby has suggested one possibility – The Lanarkshire Steelworks, Motherwell, Scotland…
The brick was found in the territory of an old sugar factory near Belgorod (close to the Ukrainian border) together with bricks from the Ukrainian region. Many thanks to Vladimir Smirnov for sending the photo and details. The stamp reads ‘ALA GLENBOIG’. Note the elongated letter ‘I’. “ALA” is French for ‘ in the manner…
Many thanks to Vladimir Smirnov for sending the photograph. 2 Glenboig. This brick is an exhibit in the Samara Museum, Samara, SW Russia. The ‘L’ is upside down. The ‘N’ is either upside down or back to front. The two x ‘G’s are odd too. They look more like ‘C’s or indeed they could be…
Many thanks to Vladimir Smirnov for forwarding this photograph. The brick was found in St Petersburg, Russia. Stein, Castlecary Fireclay Works, Castlecary, Stirlingshire. Stein, Manuel Firebrick and Refractory Works, Whitecross, Stirlingshire. Stein & Co, Anchor Brickworks, Denny, Stirlingshire. Milnquarter Fireclay & Gannister Works, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire. .
Found by Ian Suddaby in the Falkirk area. This example is not in my possession. Raewell Fire Brick Works, Meadowbank Brickworks, Falkirk. This is a baby fire brick. . . .
Many thanks to Vladimir Smirnov for forwarding the following photograph and the find location. Found in Stalingrad (now Volgograd), Russia. Dykehead Fire Clay Works, Bonnybridge, Falkirk. . . .
