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 Tuesday 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!

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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