What is a picket?

Have you ever heard the term "Picket Fence" before? This type fence is normally made from wood and has vertical wood slats that are referred to as pickets. Iron fences, gates and railings are made on the same premise; the rails that run vertically are also referred to as pickets. I've heard them called all kinds of things from posts, rails, and those up and down things, to long rods and pointy things,  but normally they are called pickets, newels, and sometimes even balusters.

Pickets add a nice dimension to an iron project. They are always part of a pre-manufactured design. If you don't like a design that uses  only an iron frame and pickets, with no other ornamentation,  you can always jazz it up with the addition of pickets collars, scrolls, circles, spears or a kick plate . . . and much, much more.

If the "pickets" on a project run horizontally, are they still called pickets? I think that's probably a matter of opinion. I might be inclined to call them rails, but that of course depends upon the materials used. If we are talking about cable railing, then the term pickets won't apply, it's cabling. If we are talking about a railing that has horizontal flat bars, I might call those rails rather than pickets.  The terminology for horizontal pickets is probably best left to opinion. 

No matter what you want to call them, pickets are a lovely addition to any iron project.