Although some of these small antique pressing irons were specifically aimed to be marketed to young girls, many little irons of this style were more meant for adults needing a little iron when a full-size counterpart just would not do for the specific task at hand. Cap irons are a prime example of this. These beautifully shaped oval irons were considered an absolute necessity for proper ironing of certain types and styles of caps and hats. Some were wide ovals and some were more streamlined, but typically they had flat horizontal handles that allowed the ironer to apply the downward pressure on the little iron that was required to do the job well.
Round back and double pointed little pressing irons are examples of some inventor's "better idea" of how to eliminate the "divots" in fabrics that were sometimes accidentally caused by the back points of the base in spade shaped irons when pressing too hard on the back end of the handle. The round back shape was thought to glide better over the fabric without leaving any unwanted indents. The forms of these antique irons are wonderfully graceful, and in these little size irons they are absolutely exquisite.
These little antique irons are some of the most sought after of all, and found very infrequently except in long-time collections like these that we have the pleasure of helping disperse.
Round
Back Antique Iron Marked "0" Irons having this graceful teardrop shape are
more often found in Europe but rarely turn up in the US, except in longtime
antique iron collections. The simple and thin bent strap handle is in
great contrast to the thickness and curves of the base of the iron, and the
casting of the "0" is sharp and very graphic. This is one of those
irons you just want to pick up and handle.
(TC 177[a])
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Excellent.................$145.00
GS-RB-2
Round
Back Antique Iron Marked "FB" This tear drip Mini Iron is nickel plated and
embossed with the intials FB It is very nice.
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Excellent.................$125.00
CB-RB
Variations of "The Pearl" Child-size Iron It's great fun to collect all the different
variations of little irons. The more frequently found iron called "The
Pearl" is the one in the center, with the more decorative cast iron cap.
It's a mainstay in every collection, and rightly so given it's good looks.
The other two Pearls shown here are more "plain" looking, but actually much
more rare. The little Pearl on the left measures just 3 inches long
and has a base that is about half the thickness of the other two.
Though the cap is cast iron it does not have the decoration seen on the more
frequently found version. It's by no means an easy iron to find and
the diminutive size makes it all the more endearing. The Pearl on the
right is the same size as the center example, and at first glance it looks
to be just a larger model of the small undecorated one. But unlike the
small one its cap is sheet steel rather than cast iron. I can't say I
have ever seen this iron before so I think that tells you something about
its rarity. Both it and the iron in the center measure just under 4
inches. You just don't find all these little variations except in
longtime collections.
(TC 258[a], TC257)
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Excellent ..... Left $225.00 GS-DP-2
Center ..... $65.00 SOLD! GS-DP-3
Right ..... $225.00 GS-DP-3b
Two
Different Patented Enterprise Little Irons Enterprise called this model iron "The Star".
The idea behind the "holes" in the handle of these two children's irons was
to ventilate and thereby cool the handle to keep it comfortable to touch
while the iron was in use. Enterprise used this handle style on their
full size irons as well as on these little ones, and called it a "cold
handle". The 1877 patent date that's marked on both of them refers to
the perforated handle. The iron on the left measures 4" and it's holes go
all the way through. The smaller iron on the right measures just a tad
over 3.5 inches and it's holes are double indents rather than through-holes.
Both of these irons are complete with their proper matching Star trivets.
(TC170,
TC171[b])
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Excellent.................$110.00 for the bigger one GS-DP-4
Excellent.................$150.00 for the smaller one SOLD! GS-DP-5
Three
Little French Cap Irons I guess the idea behind this type of iron
was that the rounded shape did a better job of ironing a round cap than
would an iron with sharp points at either end. Whether it did or not I’m
not sure---I haven’t tried ironing any of Larry’s baseball caps lately. The
two irons at either end are matching, with a little raised 6-pointed star
cast into the center of the base. The iron in the middle has the wreath
shaped logo that was the mark of a noted French foundry.
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BCM-250-2
Left ...... Good.................$55.00 each
Middle ..... Good.................$55.00 each
Right ....... Good.................$55.00 each SOLD!
Two
Double Pointed One Piece Irons These two little
vintage irons would
probably be considered toys. The one on the left has a twisted
“rope” handle while the one on the right has a more rectangular “block”
grip.
Very Good.................$12.00 each
BCM-188 BCM-278
Two
Double Point Irons These two little irons would
be considered toys as well. There are hundreds of variations of these
mini irons tha5t can be found. All of the older ones like these are
becoming harder and harder to find.
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Very Good.................$24.00 each or $40.00 / pr
ML-DP-1-2
Three
Cast Brass Toy Irons These little irons are unmarked as to maker
and their grip is a somewhat different design that is typically seen. They
may not date from as early as most of the other irons found on these pages,
but they are nicely made and definitely do show some age.
Very Good ......... $12.00 each or 3 / $30.00
BCM-190-191-196
Two
Double Point Irons These two little irons would
be considered toys as well. There are hundreds of variations of these
mini irons that can be found. All of the older ones like these are
becoming harder and harder to find.
Very Good.................$24.00 each or 2 / $40.00
ML-DP-1-2
Small
Double Point Iron This is an unmarked Mrs. Potts Style Child Size
or Lace Iron.
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LCM-CS-2
Very Good ......... $15.00
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