Author Topic: iron with handle?  (Read 2914 times)

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Offline northkid

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iron with handle?
« on: December 09, 2012, 02:19:30 PM »
Another find. Name on top is Troy. Botton is slightly rounded and not smooth(grated style?). Looks to be original handle.
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Offline gibsontool

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Re: iron with handle?
« Reply #1 on: December 09, 2012, 04:01:19 PM »
Wild quess. An iron of some type.

Offline Lostmind

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Re: iron with handle?
« Reply #2 on: December 09, 2012, 07:04:38 PM »
Another wild guess - a metal shaping( shrinking) tool?
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Offline john k

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Re: iron with handle?
« Reply #3 on: December 09, 2012, 07:36:52 PM »
My guess is an early inner tube repair vulcanizer.   Get it hot on a stove, place over rubber patch, press down til it sizzles.  That would explain the waffle pattern on the working face.   Could also have been use to vulcanize boots inside tires? 
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Offline junkfisher

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Re: iron with handle?
« Reply #4 on: December 09, 2012, 08:40:10 PM »
my first thought was bacon press. I switch to vulcanizer cause it makes more sense. I'm just in the mood for some bacon.

Offline rusty

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Re: iron with handle?
« Reply #5 on: December 09, 2012, 08:54:30 PM »
Handle seems too short for a meat searing tool, hmm....
Just a weathered light rust/WD40 mix patina.

Offline Billman49

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Re: iron with handle?
« Reply #6 on: December 10, 2012, 11:50:13 AM »
Small irons like this were used for pressing the brims of felt hats (top hats, bowlers etc with a stiff brim)

Offline Batz

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Re: iron with handle?
« Reply #7 on: December 10, 2012, 01:27:54 PM »
Small irons like this were used for pressing the brims of felt hats (top hats, bowlers etc with a stiff brim)

This is correct, I know someone who collects irons and has many small and wierd ones. They even made special irons to press pleats and collars. I'm guessing you have one of them.
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Offline amertrac

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Re: iron with handle?
« Reply #8 on: December 10, 2012, 02:52:32 PM »
I wiil bet by the time the iron gets hot the handle is hot too.  bob w/
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Offline Bill Houghton

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Re: iron with handle?
« Reply #9 on: December 10, 2012, 03:12:11 PM »
Handle seems too short for a meat searing tool, hmm....
Oh, I don't know; get it good and hot, grab that handle barehanded, and I imagine there'd be some meat seared...finger foods, as it were.

Offline Billman49

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Re: iron with handle?
« Reply #10 on: December 11, 2012, 12:13:37 PM »
Many old irons for clothes had metal handles - it was common to hold them in a damp cloth to prevent the handle burning the hand.


see: http://www.patented-antiques.com/Backpages/Irons_Bkpg/hatter.htm or http://www.antiqbuyer.com/All_Archives/IRONS_ARCHIVE/HatIrons.html

Old lead soldering irons were heated to red hot (the lead was actually welded rather than soldered). They had a curved iron handle with a large egg shaped head - they too were held in a damp cloth, but being much hotter the water soon turned to steam. After years of work old-time plumbers often had deformed hands from holding the irons day after day....
« Last Edit: December 11, 2012, 12:25:31 PM by Billman49 »

Offline Bill Houghton

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Re: iron with handle?
« Reply #11 on: December 11, 2012, 08:04:37 PM »
Interesting.  That's very different from the soldering coppers used on sheet metal, which don't work well if they get too hot.