Vintage Items

The flatiron and trivet together.

 

Old flatiron. These irons were also known as "sad irons." The word "sad" actually meant "heavy." They were very, very heavy, and the handle became very hot - as hot as the ironing surface. Most women had more than one of these irons so they could continue ironing when the one they were using cooled off. The irons were heated by placing them on top of the cast iron kitchen stove. This iron weighs about 5 pounds.

 

An old flatiron trivet with Colt advertising. This iron trivet is not as old as the flatiron in the photo. It was reproduced in the early 1970's by Colt Firearms in Hartford, Connecticut, using one of their original molds. Bill's Aunt Jean worked at Colt's at the time, and she gave it to us as a gift. It shows use because at one time, we had a wood stove with a wonderful flat surface, and I sometimes cooked on it. The trivet was helpful to keep the food in my cast iron pots from burning. (The stove in our kitchen was electric, this was not 100 years ago...)

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