While Antiquing

I'm sure we have all seen sad irons in our travels to antique shops and flea markets.

I remember years ago when I first heard they were called a "sad" iron ~ yes how sad it was to have to iron ~ but that is not the reasoning behind the name of this fascinating object.

From Merriam-Webster  ...

sad·iron noun \ˈsad-ˌī(-ə)rn\

Definition of SADIRON

: a flatiron pointed at both ends and having a removable handle

Origin of SADIRON

sad (compact, heavy) + iron

First Known Use: 1738

So how would use a sad iron ~

There actually would have been at least two irons in use during the ironing process.  While one iron was being used,  another would be warming on a heat source.   To heat an iron, it would have been set on top of a wood or coal burning stove or the hearth.  There were also flat iron heaters that had a wick to burn both low odor mineral spirits and kerosene.

A thick pad, rag, apron or towel would have been used to lift the hot iron from the heat source in order to avoid burning the hands.  Not all of the irons were a sold piece of cast iron ~ some had wooden handles.  Later came an iron with detachable handle thanks to Mrs. Potts who patented her idea in 1871.  Took a woman to think of a handle that remained cool!!!

While we may consdier it very un-lady-like to spit, this was a common practice among those using sad irons.   This helped to determine the temperature of the iron.   Determining the iron's temperature was the trickiest part of ironing with a sad iron.  With experience you could tell by the "singe" from the spit on the flat surface of the iron if it was too hot, causing the fabric to scorch or too cold which wouldn't do the job at hand.

Not only was this a hot job, it also required muscle.  Not only are sad irons heavy, great pressure was needed to be applied to the cloth while pressing.  Sad irons came in various sizes ranging from 4" to 10" long and 6" to 11" wide. The size selected was determined by the article of clothing or cloth being pressed.

As we know, cast iron will easily rust and the sad iron required much maintainance.  To keep the surface rust free, sand paper would be rubbed along the flat surface and a light grease applied.  Beeswax was also used to help the iron glide and prevent items with starch from sticking.

The 2 photos below shows 3 examples of vintage sad irons.  Solid cast iron, Enterprise with wooden handle and lastly a sad iron with removable handle.

While doing some searching I fould the beautiful set below.  It is a box style sad iron which containes a piece of cast iron just smaller than the box. The cast iron insert would have been heated until it became red hot and then placed in the box, ready for ironing. This also has the trivet that would have been used to place the iron on while turning and moving the item being ironed.

The exceptional example below was found at Retro Vintage Bazaar and is available for any collector of such fine objects.

Also along the way I found the cutest little set below.  This is a pair that are smaller size and would have been used for pressing smaller items.  The little ones are darling on display as well and this pair can be found at Rusty Secrets.

Vintage sad irons are an interesting collectible in themselves with so many sizes, styles and manufacturers.  But this can be an expanding collection carrying into cast iron trivets the iron rested upon, some of which are very detailed and ornate.  And if you are a very serious collector, your collection would not be complete without a sad iron heater.

If you don't want to go over-the-top with collecting sad irons, consider a pair for bookends, use one for a door stop or plop one on the pile of paper on your desk and use as a paperweight.

Just remember, when you long for the days of old, some of those days are better left behind!

I am not an expert on sad irons, just love all things vintage and searched around the internet obtaining and gather informaiton from many different sources and put together this informational blog for other vintage lovers.