Antique & Vintage
Box / Slug / Charcoal & Gas Heated
Pressing Irons
We are delighted to be able to offer for sale a
great number of antique / vintage / and collectible pressing irons originating from several great collections we
are helping consigners sell.
There were a number of different ideas that were used to heat, and
keep hot, the irons that were needed to perform the Tues
day morning chores.
Each style or idea to heat irons was developed, flourished, and when
new ideas were introduced the old ideas either competed or faded
into obsolescence. Ideas ranged from heating multiple
irons on the stove, to having heated slugs to insert, to solid fuels
like coal or charcoal,
then liquid fuels were utilized, and finally electricity made all other ideas
obsolete after a period.
On this page you will find a wide selection of antique box and
charcoal irons
from assorted origins, of assorted ages, and with different shapes
or designs. You will find irons with different styles
of doors, gates, latches and chimneys originating from the US and around the
world.
Charcoal Heated Irons
Charcoal (i.e. self-heated) heated irons allowed for ironing to be
done without having to endure the heat of the woodstove or cookstove, a welcome relief
during summertime months. The downside was dealing with the smoke that was exhausted
through the chimney or other vents that were a necessary part of the design.
Imagine ironing your clothes with a flat-bottomed
portable woodstove---that was the concept behind antique charcoal heated irons! Instead of heating the iron
on the stove this type of antique iron functioned
as the stove itself with the coal burning and smoking as you
prepared the clothes for use. At first look it seems
unlikely, but there are so many different versions around
and patents that were pulled that they must have been used,
and used a lot. Many of the patents are from after the
turn of the century, giving an indication of where
electricity had not yet been introduced, given the first
patents for electric irons are from the late 1880's. My how times have
changed.
Collectible charcoal irons
had features like chimneys, vents, drafts, dampers and other means of
dealing with the problems of regulating the heat source and exhausting
the smoke. There are literally hundreds of different variations that
can be found, some with patent dates, others without. Some
have fluters attached. There are examples in the form of
smoking dragons or
monsters from Europe. Open examples called pan irons are typically from
the Orient and referred to by the country of origin,
such as Chinese Pan Irons. Near the turn of the century in the US is
when many different patents were issued for "improvements"
in the basic design, but the introduction of first liquid
fuel, and then electricity shortly after, put an end to this
messy but collectible idea.
Antique Charcoal Irons
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- EverReady American
Charcoal Iron
- Finn Patent Charcoal Fired Pressing Iron
- "Express" Large Charcoal
Iron
- Faultless Tailors
Combination Charcoal Iron / Fluter
- Max Elb European
Charcoal Iron
- Venus II Double Open Charcoal Iron
SOLD!
- Combination Charcoal Heated
Fluting Iron
- Rocker
Fluter Handles for Charcoal Combo Irons
Slug Heated Box Irons
The idea behind the invention of the box iron was to heat something other than the bottom of the iron
itself---usually a piece of solid metal called a slug which was then inserted into the cavity of the
iron body---thereby keeping the bottom of the iron clean and free from the soot and grime that was
always on the stovetop and dirtied up the freshly laundered clothing.
Box irons / slug irons have been around for centuries, and many early 17th and 18th
century European irons were of this design, and they continued to be made and used up
into the 20th century. There are some very interesting American patented ideas along
this line as well.
Antique Box / Slug Irons
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- Carver Patent "OK Family Laundry" Iron
- Early Round Back Lift Gate Box Iron
-
Salamander Box / Slug Iron by Bless & Drake

- Nickel Plated
Drop-In-The-Back Slug Iron
- Long Point 19th Century Box Iron
- Unusual English
Box Irons
- Small Nickel Plated Box Iron
- 2 Unusual "Drop in the Back" Pressing Irons
- Several Different Brass Box Irons
- Antique German Ox Tongue Box
Iron
- Decorated Brass Box Iron
- Streeter's Sensible Box Iron
- Long Handle Nickel Plate Ox
Tongue Slug Iron
- Several Different Primitive European Box Irons
Patented & Unusual
Gas & Liquid Fuel Fired Pressing Irons
Antique self-heating fuel
irons can incorporate many unique designs and unusual patented features. Gas irons were cutting-edge technology in their heyday during the
late 1800's to early 1900's. Electrics signaled their end,
but Coleman was actually making gas irons in Canada up till the
1960's or
so for the folks up there without electricity.
Coleman
irons are perhaps the best known of the gas or liquid fuel irons, but
there are many other less frequently found antique and patented fuel
irons to be found and collected.
On this page you will find American and International
antique fuel irons powered by gasoline, carbide / acetylene,
kerosene, natural gas, whale oil, petroleum, alcohol, and gas-jet heated
pressing irons.
Antique
Coleman
& Other
Liquid Fuel & Gas Jet Irons
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- Montgomery Wards Black Enamel Gas Iron
- Enameled
Graniteware Natural Gas Iron with Burner
- Stuart Mfg. Co. Natural Gas Tailor's Iron
SOLD!
- Black Coleman Enamel Gas Iron
- Decorated Gas Jet Iron
- Several Different Feldmeyer Alcohol /
Liquid Fuel Irons
- American Gas Machinery #67 Cream Enamel Gas
Iron
- Deco Style Liquid Fuel Iron
- IWANTU Gas Iron
- Vesuv Gas Jet Iron
SOLD!
- Blue Coleman Fuel Vintage Iron
- Blue and White
Speckled Coleman Graniteware Iron
- Mora Gas Jet Irons with
Rocking Heater
- #302 Pyro Liquid Fuel Iron
- Patented 1882
Fox Patent Revolving Combination Iron
- Universal Natural Gas
Iron
- Horizontal Tank Gas Iron
- Royal Gas Pressing Iron
Please let me
know if you have unusual antique irons of any type that you would like
to sell either outright or on consignment. I am actively buying
and selling unusual and rare flat irons,
sadirons, fluting irons, gas or any fuel irons, sleeve irons, child-size
or toy irons, slug irons, patented irons, or rare and unusual antique
pressing irons of any sort. Contact me via email at
LCM@patented-antiques.com
anytime with full details on what you have for sale or consignment!
* * * * We Sell Antiques!
* * * *
We want
to Help you Sell Your quality Antiques
If you have a single antique, or a collection of antiques to sell
please contact us at LCM@patented-antiques.com
giving us your PHONE NUMBER
and other contact info
and we will get back to you ASAP.
To view examples of the types of antiques and collectibles we have previously
sold and are always interested in helping you sell please visit our
Past
Sales Archive Pages at our sister website
www.AntiqBuyer.com.
Please see our
FAQ page, the
Appraisal / Selling Page and the
Selling Your Collection Pages
for further info.
Thanks!!
Larry & Carole