Old red fire bricks

[Bartondad]

Hey all-
I am planning a build in the spring and today was offered some old red fire brick that came from an old fireplace and chimney. I was wondering your notions on using old brick and wondered if old red fire brick is better than the new sand colored stuff out there. I don't think the edges are as sharp as new but I can live with that if the quality is quantifiably (is that a word) better. I live in a location that makes picking up brick easy enough so either option is OK by me.
Any thoughts?

Thom

[Bartondad]

I don't know if this matters but I was also told that the old stuff is a bit tougher to cut than the new. Any truth?

[dmun]

If they are dark red i would question how much alumina content they have. Even "red" firebricks from the brickyard are pretty pinkish/beige. On the other hand our Australian members report that hard red bricks (not the soft crumbly common ones) are fine for building oven domes.

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Hey Thom..
If its the brick they used in the firebox and it never cracked or split, it should be fine. I dont know that it will hold the heat as well as regular firebrick though.. If you can, light a fire and throw a few in, after the fire goes out see how long they hold the heat.. As far as cutting, If your using a proper saw it shouldnt make that much of a difference, many of the cuts will be just cutting them in half and you can do that with a brickset and one good whack of a hammer.....

cheers
mark