Sad Iron, Cast Iron, With Inscription C7 Top Of Iron.

Sad Iron, Cast Iron, With Inscription C7 Top Of Iron.

The earliest metal flat irons were forged by blacksmiths in the Middle Ages. These were heated on an open fire or a stove, and the metal handles had to be grasped with a thick potholder, rag, or glove. Women had to be careful not to track soot or ash on the clothing they were ironing.

But the desire for wrinkle-free garments started long before medieval times, Documents reveal even Vikings in the 10th century wanted their clothes de-wrinkled. They used round glass “linen smoothers” to accomplish this task. This led to handled “glass smoothers,” also called “slickers.”

Glass smoothers developed into mushroom-shaped “smoothing stones”, also called “slick stones,” “sleek stones,” and “slicken stones”, made of wood, glass, stone, or bone. A “smoothing board” or “mangle board” (called “battledores,” “battels,” “beatels,” and “bittle and pin” in England) featured a rolling pin or roller turned by a lever, which was the basis for future ironing machines. The “linen press” or “screw-presses” flattened the fabric between two flat surfaces.

It was trading with China in the 12th century that introduced to Europeans the idea of using heat to iron clothes. The Chinese had been pressing pans filled with hot coals over stretched cloth since the first century B.C. Once the concept of heat-pressing was embraced in Europe, Western fashion became centred on starching and ironing.

Item Code - TOO7C4123PCA

Width: 6 1/8"  Height: 4 1/2"  Depth: 3 3/4"  Weight: 2.914 kg